


The Hunter in the Family

by ShivaeSyke



Series: Blackwood Confidential [3]
Category: Black Rose (Webcomic), Strange Magic (2015), Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons), Trollhunters - Daniel Kraus & Guillermo del Toro
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Hunters, F/M, Parents Are Embarassing, References to Supernatural (TV), Rescue Missions, Strange Magic, Supernatural Elements, Were-Creatures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-01-16 17:28:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 108,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21274967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShivaeSyke/pseuds/ShivaeSyke
Summary: NOTE: November 28th - Nomura. :DAfter a tumultuous October, Bog and Marianne have Roland OUT of their lives and are free to pursue their relationship and the very real event of a wedding Bog's mother is all for and Marianne's father is not so sure about.Unfortunately, things are not going smoothly.  Marianne knows what Bog is, but he still thinks she is a human and he wants to make sure her short life is the most amazing life ever.  He's going to spoil her to death in every ridiculous way he can think of.There are too many secrets being held by too many people, including the Arcadian Special Investigator that's been tasked to figure out what happened to Roland.  He's on the trail and Marianne is firmly in his sights.Story will be locked two weeks after completion, then deleted a month after completion for reasons. At least I'm giving a warning. I'm rewriting it and will post a link to where you can view continuations in my profile/soon! I'll be posting in Discord and on a writing Patreon, but no longer posting certain rough drafts openly.





	1. November 1

**November 1**

“Why can’t I tell them again?” Sunny followed Marianne from the kitchen to the living room. “You saw them! Atlanteans! My people!” Sunny had been asking this question repeatedly all morning, and Marianne was annoyed.

  
“Bog thinks we are all human, Sunny. We need him to continue thinking that.” Marianne sighed, taking a seat on one of the comfy couches.

  
“But that’s a lie! How long are you going to keep that lie.” Sunny persisted.

  
“Forever.” Marianne sighed. “What will he think of me if he knows?”

  
“You do realize he’s going to have questions when you’re still alive in a hundred years.” Sunny began poking holes in Marianne’s plan. “Or if you have kids and they do not turn into little wolves! They shoot fire out of their hands or begin parting the water in the bathtub.”

  
Marianne stared at Sunny sadly. “I can’t tell him. You should have seen his face when I showed him those awful photos. He threw up, Sunny. He was that disturbed.”

  
“But, you don’t hunt!” Sunny folded his arms and plopped down onto the couch next to Marianne. “You’ve never been on a hunt, and neither has Dawn! You’re just Arcadians!”

  
“Just Arcadians.” Marianne hissed. “People who destroyed Lycea and killed their Mother. That was a sin in itself. Destroying a creature that spawns whole species of familiarsis feralis.”

  
“You didn’t do that. Other people did.” Sunny pointed out. “Marianne. I’ve never known my own people. I was six when I got separated from my family. I don’t even know how to BE one of them.” Sunny’s eyes grew wide. He gasped. “What if my family is somewhere here in this town?!”

  
Marianne looked at Sunny. “Arcadians sunk Atlantis, Sunny. We robbed you and all your people of your city. Arcadians killed Atlanteans almost as indiscriminately as Lyceans and Vampires.”

  
“But, you didn’t.” Sunny frowned, then leaned forward to hug his sister-in-law. “I love you, Marianne, but your need to keep secrets from people you love is going to get us all into trouble.”

  
“I am terrified of what Bog will think.” Marianne hugged Sunny back. “I don’t want to lie to him. I love him so much. It hurts to even think about him finding out and what he will think about Dawn and me.” She paused in thought and sighed. “If he asks, I will tell him, but only then.”

  
“Marianne.” Sunny sat back beside her. “There’s one more thing you need to think about. Bog thinks you’re a human. He was most likely not going to tell you he was a Lycean until he was forced to. He was probably afraid of what you would think of him in the exact same way you’re afraid to tell him. I think he would understand if you told him. He loves you.”

  
“I can’t,” Marianne stated quietly. She was ashamed of what her kind had done. Marianne felt it was nowhere near the same. Arcadians had gone on a genocidal rampage against Lyceans and Atlanteans. They had almost succeeded in wiping them out. But then they found a use for the Atlanteans. Their presence boosted their allies’ abilities. They were forced to serve Arcadis in exchange for their lives.

  
As Arcadians, Marianne and Dawn were a great danger to a town full of Lyceans and Atlanteans. Peaceful Lyceans and Atlanteans with children who only wanted to be left alone. Marianne wanted to stay among them, and to do that, she could not let them know what she was.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Bog was on his hands and knees with a rag attempting to get blood out of the carpet in the living room of their house. “MA! Ye couldn’t have just killed the guy and left him on the porch?! What did ye do?! Fling him around like a cat toy in here?!” Bog sat up and sighed. The living room was covered in blood splatter that was on the walls, the ceiling and soaked into the carpet. He had cleaned up a good amount of it overnight, but there was still much more to clean up.

  
“I didn’t mean to kill him.” Bog’s mother stepped into the doorway. “The rest of them are alive, at least.”

  
“Uhm.” Bog paused for a moment in thought. “Mother. Where is the body?”

  
“Don’t you worry about that.” She replied with a grin.

  
“Mother.” Bog turned to look at her, giving her a questioning look. “Ye didn’t?”

  
“So when are you setting the wedding date, Bogdan?”

  
“Mother.” Bog made an annoyed face at her as she changed the subject.

  
“You know you can pull together a wedding in weeks, Son. Get started on enjoying life as a married man.” Her eyes twinkled as she sighed blissfully. “Or you can bring her over now and let her move in with you.”

  
“How is it that ye are my mother, and I am more traditional than ye are?” Bog stared at her. “I am not playing house. I want everything in order. Without order, there is chaos, and I will not have my house in chaos. There is an order, and it will be followed.”

  
“In my day, we didn’t bother with marriages and papers. We made off into the woods and were happy and squitching.” Zelda chuckled at the thought. “And we had kids. Lots of them.”

  
Bog groaned. He didn’t want to ask what squitching was but had a good idea. “I think I’m going to call someone in to finish this and replace the carpets. Now, please tell me I can call someone to remove a body discreetly.”

  
Zelda burped and walked out of the room.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=

A clean-shaven Bog, without a scratch on him, showed up on the Summer’s doorstep. He came with a sheet pan in hand, holding three large homemade cinnamon rolls. They were saturated with a sweet cream glaze and chopped pecans. Dawn was ecstatic at the sight of them and immediately stuck a finger in one to taste the icing.

  
“Dawn, don’t you dare stick your fingers in all them.” Marianne grinned at her sister. “One of those is mine.” Bog smiled, handing the pan off to Dawn, who giggled and winked at her sister. She left to put them on the table, and find Sunny.

  
Bog was left with Marianne in the dining room. He stood awkwardly in front of her while she smiled at him. “Ye don’t want to come over to my house for a while. Going to have workmen in cleaning up the damage.” He didn’t want to go into detail on what that damage was for obvious reasons.

  
Marianne stepped forward and walked into Bog’s arms with a happy sigh, and a smile fixed on her face. Bog leaned over her, squeezing her tightly and kissing the top of her head. He sighed wearily and rested his cheek on Marianne’s head, holding the embrace for a few quiet minutes. “I am taking today off. I am too tired to get anything to done, and I imagine yer the same?”

  
“Oh, I slept like the dead last night.” Marianne kneaded her fingers into Bog’s back. “But if you want to go sneak off into your hammock for the day, I would like that. I’m caught up with my work enough to take a break. I even got paid.”

  
“Good.” Bog ran his hands through her hair. “I took care of your debt.”

  
Marianne blinked at Bog. How had he done that? “Bogdan.”

  
“Marianne, there are a lot of things I need to tell you about me and this town, but not today. It was taken care of by what we refer to as The Network. It’s a system that takes care of our movements and keeping us safe from Hunters.” Bog began explaining. “As part of wiping Roland’s mind, the name on the court record was changed, and I had money transferred, so it was paid in full. He won’t think to research it beyond what’s available to him.”

  
“You can do things like that?” Marianne was aghast. “I don’t want to owe you, Bog!”

  
“Yer going to be my wife, Love.” Bog kissed her forehead. “What is mine is yers. Ye need to start thinking of us as one and not two separate people.”

  
Marianne groaned. “You’re going to have to go with me when I tell my dad we’re getting married. What are we going to tell him?”

  
“We’ll discuss that on another day, now, why don’t ye go into the kitchen and get that cinnamon roll before Dawn eats them all.” Bog smiled and began walking to the kitchen. “I also need to make you an engagement ring.”

  
“Make me a ring?” Marianne looked at him in wonder. He was full of surprises.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Bog and Marianne sat on Marianne’s porch to watch various groups of people coming in to salvage the wood in Bog’s yard. “This was a good year.” Bog smiled.

  
“Your yard was set on fire. Hunters rampaged through your streets and tried to kill you. It’s a good year?” Marianne leaned against Bog.

  
“I have ye.” Bog turned and gazed at her with a big stupid grin on his face. “That is all that matters to me right now.”

  
Marianne gave him her own stupid grin. “So, what big thing do you have planned for Thanksgiving?”

  
“Taking it easy this year. Simple ordinary turkeys and cornucopias.” Bog licked his lips when he said turkeys. “Let’s go get some sleep. I’m exhausted, and I want to be with ye today.”

  
Marianne nodded as Bog rose to his feet and offered her his hand. She took it, and the pair of them headed to Bog’s side gate into his backyard and the hammock that was waiting for them. Marianne attempted to push the feelings of guilt down. She did not feel deserving of Bog’s love for her.

  
Worry was gnawing away inside about what he might do if he figured out she was an Arcadian.

  
If she told him, she wasn’t sure he would react any better than if he figured it out on his own. For now, Marianne chose to justify her choice with the mental note that she WOULD tell him if he asked her, but he had to ask.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found an old person word for stuff. :D SQUITCHING. That word is hilarious to me and Zelda had to use it.
> 
> I forgot I had already addressed Marianne's kinda ridiculous plan to NOT tell Bog what she is up front until I went back and began editing. :D Sunny is a GREAT voice of reason.
> 
> Halfway through this story, I felt really bad for Marianne, because Bog isn't meaning any harm by constantly making comments about Arcadians in front of her. It's just a thing that tends to happen a lot between people, when someone expresses an opinion and hurts someone they love, because they aren't paying attention to their reactions to these statements and realizing what they are doing. :(


	2. November 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog explains his role in Blackwood and what Marianne's will be. Marianne makes that call to her father and finds out some very bad news about Roland. 
> 
> A special investigator with Roland's case finds some intriguing clues, but can't break through the very thorough memory wipe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been looking forward to this. I will be updating on Mondays.
> 
> I've been fiddling with the details and decided: Oh what the heck, it's Blackwood. Just use the town name. I like it. It's good. Then I couldn't call it the Fall Cycle, because I intend to do more and hit on Blackwood Confidential. I like it. It's good. 
> 
> Did you know that if you paste text into Hemingway app, copy it all, then paste it a SECOND time it BREAKS all the paragraphs automatically so you don't have to do it manually? I figured that out on accident. It's a huge time saver.

November 2 

Bog sat in the Summer’s den in one of the two armchairs positioned in front of the couch. Marianne sat across from him. Sunny was sitting on the further cushion with Dawn sitting on his lap, playing with his hair and humming. Marianne watched her sister’s strange antics. She had been acting off for most of the week. Dawn had bizarre mood swings entirely out of the blue. She went from being her usual bubbly self to unusually sad then back again in minutes. 

“I don’t know how much ye know about Lyceans and Atlanteans and Arcadians, but this town is a refuge from Arcadians. We live here at peace with our neighbors and away from human eyes to avoid catching Hunter attention.” Bog began. “My great grandfather founded this town with my mother. They came to America in the 1600s. My family fought in the revolutionary war. They were real patriots. They’ve always been the kind of people that don’t like being told what to do. When they came here, Lyceans and Atlanteans followed them.”

Bog ran a hand uncomfortably along the back of his neck. “Rex Regis attract them. It’s not an intentional thing, they come here and find my mom and me. Over hundreds of years, ye accumulate a lot of people. These people are my people to protect and watch over. I am their king.” Bog blushed in embarrassment as he said it. He could take charge, but he never felt like he deserved the adoration of his people. They tended to drive him crazy with their attention and love.

“So ye will be my Queen.” Bog gestured to Marianne. She looked at him nervously. All the little things she had noticed slot into place and drop responsibilities in her lap. “Uhm, they already think of ye as Queen, so do not be surprised if they address ye as such at first. Do ye have any questions?”

“If you control who lives here, how did I end up your neighbor?” Marianne ventured curiously.

“One human family is allowed to live in our town to keep everyone on their toes, and I choose good people to live here.” Bog explained. “Sunny and Dawn will fulfill that role when we are married.”

Dawn grinned happily at Bog. Sunny spoke up, “But we won’t be able to afford it.” Dawn frowned and looked at Bog in concern.

“Don’t worry about it.” Bog waved his hands at them dismissively. “Lyceans take care of their families. I’m in a position to do whatever I please. Marianne’s mortgage is handled by my bank.”

“Your bank?” Marianne blinked at him.

“I own all the land the town sits on and many businesses, Marianne.” Bog’s face turned redder. These things were embarrassing to talk about. He never spoke about what he took care of because he felt like bragging. Marianne stared at him incredulously. “I have trusted people who take care of most of my holdings. There are a few eximius Lyceans who hold adjacent land and businesses.”

“We, we get a house?” Sunny gaped.

“Yes. This house, unless Marianne has other plans.” Bog looked at her. She was still looking at him with shock written across her face. “Marianne?”

“Oh, yes.” She nodded. “I would love to do that for them.” Marianne turned and grinned at Sunny and Dawn. Dawn made a happy giggling noise and hugged her husband.

“Any questions?” Bog asked again, looking at Sunny and Dawn. 

“When are you getting married?!” Sunny and Dawn asked at the same time with huge smiles on their faces.

“That will be determined soon, I’m sure.” Bog smiled at Marianne. They had not discussed this. Bog had a feeling once the Summers figured out that Dawn was pregnant, things would begin moving. 

“Ye two can go now. I need to talk to Marianne privately.” Bog motioned to the door. Dawn bounced up and ran to Bog, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly. “Thank you so much, Boggy!” There were tears in her eyes as she pulled back to look at Bog, then giddily kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you.”

“Hey, hey, he’s mine.” Marianne grinned, poking her sister on the shoulder. “You already have a wonderful husband.”

Dawn giggled, bouncing back and then into her husband’s arms. The pair of them left talking happily about their future. Marianne smiled at Bog and sat on his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the mouth.

“So, my king, we’re going to have to discuss telling my dad about us.” Marianne pulled back with a sigh. “He’s not going to be happy that I’m marrying someone I haven’t known for very long.”

“I guess I’m going to have to put on a show then, My Queen?” Bog smiled and lifted a hand to her cheek. “I can do that. I assume he wants to see a lot of flashiness and everything I hate doing?”

“Obviously not everything you told me, but if he knows you’re financially stable, that will get you a lot of points. Being a good man will do everything else.” Marianne smiled. How Bog presented himself would be significant. Marianne had to do something far more critical. She had to keep her father from protesting her marriage to someone he assumed was human. He had caved to Dawn marrying an Atlantean because of Marianne’s arguments. Their father wanted his daughters to be happy among all else. But he had hoped one of them would marry an Arcadian and strengthen the bloodline.

Strengthening their already strong bloodline was ridiculous in Marianne’s eyes. At some point, years down the road, she would have to tell him what Bog was. That wouldn’t be anytime soon, and by then, there would hopefully be grandchildren in the mix. Her father was a kind, softhearted man. He would understand, given time. He would have to give in when he saw how much they loved each other.

“There’s something else I need to tell ye about Lyceans, Marianne.” Bog brushed a stray hair out of her eyes and smiled, that same blush that never seemed to leave his face rising up again. “Ye remember that stupid werewolf movie we watched? When ye commented about the psychic connection?”

“Oh please, do not tell me that.” Marianne made a face at Bog.

“Not quite like that. Two things involve family ye need to know. One, we’re meant to find our matches early in life. We are drawn to specific people, and once we have found each other, that bond can not be broken. Ever. We are infinitely loyal.” Bog whispered.

“I like that.” Marianne grinned in response.

“Because ye are a human, I did not pursue it.” Bog mumbled, looking sad. “I thought only that bond would overcome how I look and act. Maybe it’s even more special that ye chose me without it.”

“What are you talking about?! There’s nothing wrong with the way you look.” Marianne kissed him again, this time with considerably more passion. She ran her hands slowly through his thick wavy hair. She couldn’t help but feel he needed to be reminded that he was loved, and she wanted him.

“Ye are incredible, Marianne.” Bog chuckled, trying not to get too worked up as he still had more to say. “The other thing. The longer we are together, I will know if ye are in any danger. The same goes for Sunny and Dawn. We are all aware when family is in danger. My close friends and all the Lycean townspeople will come to ye if ye are in danger even without ye being a Lycean. They will protect their Queen.”

Marianne stared at Bog. “I never knew that about Lyceans. I didn’t know much, but all this is amazing.” She laid her head on Bog’s shoulder. “Is that all?”

“One more thing, my mom’s trying to get us married as fast as possible. Choose the date ye want, and don’t let her harass ye into two weeks from now.” Bog stated. “I am not giving her the satisfaction of possible kids anytime soon with her harping on me to get it done. That means I would prefer not going beyond what we’re doing right now. I am not ready for any of that. I’m getting used to having someone I can have and hold and kiss.” With that, he wrapped his arms around Marianne and hugged her tightly. “My mom’s trying to feed ye natural aphrodisiacs, by the way.”

“Wow, she’s really serious.” Marianne grimaced. 

“Now, we’re going out into the backyard so I can make ye a proper engagement ring.” Bog grinned, indicating he was getting up.

“Make me an engagement ring?” Marianne slid off his lap and stared up at him. “How do you do that.”

“I’ll show ye.” He took her hand and led her outside.

=-=-=-=-=-= 

Bog picked up a few pebbles and a handful of grass from Marianne’s backyard. Then he removed a handful of grass from his pocket. Marianne was sitting on the deck steps, watching curiously. She wasn’t sure what to expect. Bog sat down next to her and laid the handful of grass on his knee.

“How much do ye know about alchemy, Marianne?” He rolled the stone in his hand.

“I know it’s spoken equations kinda like magic.” Marianne smiled, wishing she could tell Bog everything she knew, which was a lot.

“To put it simply, yes.” Bog began speaking and manipulating the stone. “I wouldn’t call it magic. It’s a science, a spoken formula. What ye get out of it depends on yer genetics and emotion. The same equation spoken by me would have a different result if spoken by an Atlantean.” Chips of the stone fell away, revealing a golden orange jewel with perfect facets. A soft golden glow emanated from inside. “Lyceans, Atlanteans, and Arcadians can all create things like this. Atlanteans have the strongest creation ability, then Lyceans. Arcadians aren’t that great at it, because they are combat-oriented. Creation is the opposite of destruction. Arcadians are awful.” Bog growled. Marianne winced inside.

Bog began working on the second stone, a smaller one than the first. “Humans can do limited alchemy, so I can try to teach ye if yer interested. Would ye like to learn?” 

“Yes.” Marianne smiled. Her stomach was churning at Bog’s words about Arcadians. 

“I’m doing a warm-up before I get to the ring.” Bog grinned at Marianne. Bog put the finished stones into her hands. The gems were warm to the touch.

Marianne watched in fascination as Bog began working with the grass. He skillfully weaved it together and spoke his equation. The blades glowed with a golden light as they were manipulated. Soon he had formed an ornate coppery gold bracelet. He set it aside and began on the actual ring. It was amazing to watch his long fingers weaving and creating the ring.

“Let me see your ring finger so I can get it right.” Bog held out his hand, and Marianne placed her left hand on it. Bog slid the unfinished ring over her ring finger. It was too big. He began speaking, adjusting the ring to a perfect fit. He slipped the band up and down her finger to make sure it would fit, then took the stones from her.

Bog worked on the bracelet first, setting the larger stone in it. Then he worked on the ring. Bog divided the ring in half so that he now had two bands. He adjusted one of them and put it on his own ring finger to check for fit, then handed it to Marianne. She turned it over in her hand, examining the fine details he had created with the blades of grass. It was rustic and wild in its design.

Bog divided Marianne’s ring into three parts, then he put them back together to add the gem. He wound more grass around it to set it in place, then pulled the middle band out of the ring. It would slot into the wedding ring to complete it when they were officially married.

Then he turned and knelt on one knee in front of Marianne, holding out the ring he had created. She blinked at him, realizing what he was doing immediately. A huge goofy grin spread over her face.

“Marianne Summers, before ye, my life was a night that lacked the stars and a moon. My days lacked the warmth and light of the sun. I was a Fall without color and the Spring without rain. I can not imagine my life without ye. I love ye and want to spend my life pleasing ye and bringing that wonderful smile to yer face.” Bog smiled with a light blush over his cheeks, his bright blue eyes fixed on Marianne. “Will you do me the honor of being my wife? My Queen? My Love?”

Marianne laughed and ran the back of her hand across her eyes. She smiled at Bog for a moment, then got up, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “Yes.” Marianne laughed and leaned against him in a firm embrace. She was having a difficult time holding back her emotions. She was so incredibly happy. This was how it was supposed to be. She dropped to both knees in front of him and held out her hand. 

“These stones hold healing energy.” Bog slipped the band over Marianne’s finger and then held out his left hand to her. Marianne had almost forgotten she was holding the other band. She opened her right hand and was glad to find she hadn’t dropped it. She slid it over Bog’s ring finger, and they both held them up together to see them side by side. “Would ye prefer diamonds? I should have asked.” Bog scowled.

“No. I don’t care about diamonds. I care that it came from you, and this is better than any dumb diamond.” Marianne grinned, running her fingers over the engagement band.

Bog got up and retrieved the bracelet to hand it to Marianne. He pocketed the wedding ring to put away in a safe place until it was needed. “I am going to teach ye the words to activate it. It is full of my energy. It doesn’t need anything out of ye other than knowing the right words and placing yer hand over it when ye say them.” 

Marianne slid the bracelet over her left wrist. She held her arm in front of her and admired it along with her matching engagement band. They were beautiful but not flashy. They were nice and from the heart. Bog held her hand and began telling her the words. 

Somehow, the presence of the actual engagement ring made everything more real. It signified what would be, and Marianne felt a joy that she had never felt before. She had thought it was impossible to feel more love for Bog than she already had, but she was wrong. It only seemed to grow with more intensity.

=-=-=-=-=-= 

Marianne turned her chair so she could see Bog in his studio. He smiled at her and waved encouragingly. Marianne picked up her phone and selected her father’s contact entry, keeping her eyes on Bog. They had discussed what they would do. Bog had told Marianne to choose any restaurant she wanted to invite her father to. It would be her father, Bog, and Marianne having dinner.

“Here goes.” Marianne took a long look at her engagement ring and the matching bracelet on her wrist, then she dialed. 

“Good evening, Marianne!” In two rings, she heard her father’s voice. He sounded excited to hear from her.

“Good evening, Dad.” Marianne smiled. “How are you?” They spent several minutes with friendly chit chat. Marianne felt sad that she hadn’t spoken to him for so long. He had been so worried when he had come to visit in October. Then Marianne had to get to the point of the call. “Dad, I’ve been dating someone, and I like him. He wants to take us to dinner Wednesday night at Prime. 7PM if you’re available.” That was Lucas’ favorite Brazilian steakhouse, and it wasn’t cheap either. They served expensive aged meats along with the regular fare.

“That’s wonderful, Marianne!” He sounded so happy.

“You’ve already met him.” Marianne smiled. He was not going to like this at all, and she had to choose her words with care. She did not want to lie to her father, but for Bog’s sake, she would. 

“I have? Who is the lucky man?”

“It’s my neighbor, Bogdan Laird.”

There was silence on the other end of the phone, and she could hear her father struggling to find words. “But he’s a human.” He finally said with disappointment. “Marianne, you can’t get involved with a human. They live such short lives. It would be cruel for you, and I know how you are about relationships to begin with. Why would you do this?”

“I love him, Dad.” The words came without effort. “I love him, and he loves me. Does anything else matter?”

“Marianne.” Her father’s voice was full of sadness. “Do you intend to have children with him? Isn’t he going to have a problem when his kids start displaying abilities? You know how it works. Humans add nothing to the bloodline, and they will all inherit your abilities.”

“If that is what he wants, yes, I will.” Marianne scowled. She hadn’t actually had a conversation about children with Bog. She knew that’s what he wanted, and she was far more willing to give it to him than she had been when Roland brought them up. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

“You will have to tell him what you are, Marianne.”

“I know, and I will when I have to.” Marianne ran a hand through her hair. She did not like having to think about telling Bog anymore than she wanted to reveal to her father what Bog was. “I love him.”

“Do you?”

“I do.” There was silence again. “Dad, this is my life. You were the one who put Roland in my life. That didn’t turn out well, did it?”

“About Roland,” Marianne felt her pulse race as her father changed subjects. “He was picked up yesterday along with five other Hunters. Marianne, the last five years of their memories had been wiped.” Lucas paused. “Marianne, do you know how that happened?”

“I do, and I don’t want to talk about it, Dad. This is for the best.” Marianne couldn’t deny this. “Do not ask me about it.”

“Wiping memories is forbidden alchemy, Marianne.” Her father spoke with a severe tone. “Only Enforcers are allowed to do it and then only after a trial. What are you not telling me, Marianne?”

“Dad. Roland was after me. Nobody was going to do anything about it. He was going to hurt me.” Marianne took a deep breath. “He was going to rape me, Dad. What was done had to be done so he would stop coming for me. Dad, please, don’t pursue this. Let it be a mystery that keeps me safe.”

“Arawn is interrogating Roland today.” Her father sighed. “If anyone is going to figure out what happened to him, it will be him.”

“Uncle Arawn?” Marianne frowned, trying to dig up old memories of the man. He wasn’t really related to them, but he was a family friend and had been around a lot when she and Dawn were children. He had stepped in when their mother passed away to give their father time to mourn.

“Yes, Marianne.” Lucas sighed. “I love you. I miss you and your sister. I’ll have dinner with you and Bogdan on Wednesday, then we’ll talk again. I want what is best for you, and I do want you to be happy.” They spoke for a few more minutes, then Marianne hung up with conflicted feelings. She looked up at Bog, who was smiling at her. He was holding up a sheet of paper against the window with an ornate marker drawn heart on it in red. In the middle, it said: Love Ya Love! Marianne smiled and blew him a kiss. He was so sweet. She hoped her father wouldn’t dig too deep into his life. She had discussed that with Bog. He had been assured her that his records were as clean as hers were because they were originals. He was very young by Lycean standards. Marianne told him she was concerned because her father knew what to look for. He was wary about Lyceans due to his Arcadian contacts.

=-=-=-=-=-= 

The moment Lucas ended the call, he began checking into Bogdan Laird. Marianne was a lousy liar. Dawn was an even worse one, and Lucas planned to call her later. He had a sneaky suspicion that Bogdan Laird was not human, and he was not Arcadian. He was definitely not Atlantean, because that would not have been something to be hidden. He was not a vampire because he had been walking around in sunlight without a problem. This left two possibilities. Bogdan Laird was a Lycean or a human. 

“Marianne, Marianne.” Lucas groaned, running a hand over his face. He was going to have a serious talk with her about whether Bogdan was a human or Lycean. But first, Lucas would see what kind of a man Bogdan portrayed himself as. When they first met, Bogdan had come off as angry with a smoldering fire in his eyes like he was personally mad at Lucas. Yet, he had been polite and concerned about Marianne. That’s all Lucas could recall. He had been far more concerned about his daughter than the neighbor.

It was his house she had fallen asleep in, and as far as Lucas knew, Bogdan had been a gentleman about it. He had not taken advantage of his daughter. He had been helpful and seemed like an honest man. Bogdan was older than Marianne. Age wasn’t a particular concern but, Lucas did wonder if there was something wrong with him.

=-=-=-=-=-= 

Ripples bounced against a boundary in Roland’s mind. It happened every time he looked at the investigator. They had spent hours trying to work out what had happened to Roland’s memory. They went around in a circle where Roland was continually triggered by this man he had never met before.

Arawn scowled, the lines on his face deepening in annoyance. He did not like this arrogant young hunter. He thought that whatever he had gotten himself into, he clearly deserved. A hunter that had been mind-wiped was a rare occurrence. There were only five Arcadians who could do such a thorough job, and Arawn was one of them. 

The Enforcer had spent the last few hours scanning Roland and checking for any clues to who had done it. So far, he had picked up an exciting clue that was personal. He kept that one to himself. The continual disturbance Arawn had on Roland was curious. It made scanning him difficult. He could not find even the tiniest trace of a social memory from the last several months. Every personal connection in Roland’s life had been cleared back as far as five years. The memories weren’t actually gone but hidden somewhere deep in Roland’s mind.

Whoever had done this had done a fantastic job at it. Arawn was impressed. He looked into Roland’s eyes, a hand out on his shoulder as he spoke. “What are ye feeling right now?”

“Angry?” Roland stared into Arawn’s intense blue eyes. He was unable to figure out why he felt such anger and loathing toward him. Something was familiar about him. His features were sharply angled, framing brilliant blue eyes. Those eyes seemed to see right into Roland’s soul. “I don’t know. Jealous? It’s weird. I don’t understand why. I’ve never met you, have I?”

“Never,” Arawn grunted, settling back in his chair and steepling his fingers in thought. He crossed his long legs and stared at Roland. “Arcadis keeps me here. Ye know how it is with top-level Enforcers with the ability ta wipe minds.”

“Can you help me?” Roland looked desperate. “I want to know what happened.”

“I’m sure ye can piece together something about yer missing past, but that’s not my job. My job is ta figure out who did this ta ye.” A thin smile spread across Arawn’s face. “I get ta go hunting.”

“Can I assist?” Roland sat upright and offered immediately.

“I hunt alone.” Arawn snorted at the thought. He despised young hunters. Especially the kind like Roland. “I advise ye ta not go looking inta yer past. Ye might blunder inta losing yer entire mind. Go back to hunting and leave me ta my business. If I find something, ye’ll be tha first ta know.”

“Can I get a copy of the GPS locations my vehicles were at?” Roland inquired.

“No. Yer vehicles GPS were wiped.” That was true. Roland’s GPS had been wiped. But Arawn had a copy that had been uploaded from the vehicles to their servers. The vans and the men Roland had taken with him had not been out on an official hunt. However, their trackers were always on and transmitting locations. Arawn figured he was doing Roland a favor by not giving him any information. It could get him into an even worse situation than he had been in.

“Ye are free ta leave now. I’ve done all I can.” Arawn motioned to the door.

“Yes, Sir.” Roland got up, bowed to Arawn, and left the room.

Arawn picked up Roland’s folder thoughtfully. That tiny bit of exciting energy he had found? It had touched a memory he could not reach. He knew what it meant. Whatever stirred that repressed memory had the power to undo it. Arawn would backtrack Roland’s GPS route and find that person. He would find the woman who was responsible for his wiped memories.

Arawn was missing seven years of his life. That was 35 years ago, and while he had been disturbed about it when it had happened, he had found no clues. 5 years ago, the memory wipe had begun to weaken. He hadn’t given it much thought up till that point. He was busy with his work for Arcadis. Then one night, the dreams began.

There was this beautiful woman in his dreams, a tiny petite lass with a mass of red hair and brown eyes. At first, he could barely remember the dreams when he woke up, but he could feel the emotions that went with them. He could not remember ever having had what he awakened to. It immediately brought on a sense of loss and an ache for something missing.

He had loved someone, and something had happened to them. Arawn stared at the locations. He had a notebook he wrote whatever snippets of information he could glean from the dreams. He made it up as a list on multiple pages, so anyone who found it wouldn’t suspect it was a lost memory. Arawn was attempting to piece it together in private. He didn’t trust anyone and was paranoid; someone might find it. 

So far, he knew that this woman was a Lycean. A Rex Regis. A true queen. He knew without a doubt that he had loved this woman since a good majority of the dreams were of them being intimate. He could not remember ever having done it, but it was in his dreams.

There was also a boy. He had a son somewhere, a skinny boy who should be a man now with the same blue eyes. Arawn dreamed of playing with the boy and teaching him things. He had brief moments in his dreams of seeing his son could also shift. Young Lyceans had problems with control when they began growing into their abilities at 5 or 6 years of age. He knew this, and yet he knew he shouldn’t know it. It was important for some reason. It wasn’t part of any Arcadian record. Arawn couldn’t figure out of they knew he knew they were Lyceans or even if he had told them he was an Arcadian.

Arawn did know that he had a wife and a son. He had a gold wedding band hanging from a chain around his neck. When he had awakened in the middle of a group of unconscious hunters, the first thing he had done was look at his hands. He saw the strip of white skin where a ring had been on his left hand. The ring was in his pocket. Before he had been wiped, he had taken the ring off and put it there to hide it. It was some sort of sign, but he was confused about why his memories had been wiped.

He had gone over various scenarios over the years. His Lycean family had been discovered? Maybe he had revealed who he was to his wife, and she had wiped his memories? She had grown tired of him or found out that he was a Hunter and cast him aside? That one was painful. Yet, every dream was happy. There were no bad dreams. That was why Arawn was desperately seeking a way to find his way home to his wife and son. He had to know what had happened. More importantly, he needed them. He was a lonely man with nothing but work in his life. If he had a family out there, he had to find them. They might even be looking for him.

=-=-=-=-=-=

Roland was on the phone the moment he stepped out of the building. “Coy, my interrogator is Arawn, and he refused to give me a copy of the GPS records. He said he’s going to investigate them himself. I need you and your brothers to follow him and put a bug on whatever vehicle he takes. We are going to figure out what happened to us.” Roland hung up and glanced back at the building.

Arawn could try to keep him out of the investigation all he wanted. Roland was going to do his own research by letting Arawn do all the work. If he followed him, at some point, he would run into a person that would lift the memory loss by speaking to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote at least 6 or 7 chapters of Bog and Marianne content, fumbling around with: Ok, this is all well and good, but it's missing something. Then Bog's father stepped forward and announced: What if I was alive? What if Zelda lied for 'reasons'? What are those reasons? This whole book is about people lying to each other for 'good reasons' in their eyes.
> 
> Because Arawn (no last name), is pretty much an older version of Bog, concealing who he was beyond his introduction is impossible. He took Zelda's last name. BTW, Sunny is Sunny Summers. He took Dawn's last name, because he didn't have one. It's common for older Arcadians/Lyceans/Atlanteans to NOT have last names. It's also common for orphans. Sometimes they will pick up a name and use it when they have to.
> 
> I LOVED writing Bog's father in Metamorphosis and the idea struck me of just how he could still be alive and who he was. There's a slightly mature side story to go up next week, which I wrote to explore his personality. It's how Arawn and Zelda met and pretty sure I've done a good job of indicating Zelda's not shy about anything. Bog gets THAT from his father.


	3. November 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog and Marianne have a stupid fight, then they have a fun fight, that turns into a not so fun thing for Marianne.

November 4 

-=-=-=-=-

Bog grinned as he ran up the steps to Marianne’s house. He had come up with something fun to suggest to Marianne and  was excited about sharing it with her. He knocked, and after a moment, Dawn answered the door. She was in tears and sniffling. Her face  was red and blotchy.

“Oh, hello, Bog.” Dawn stepped aside. “Marianne is in her studio.”

“What’s wrong, Dawn?” Bog stepped through the door and gave her his full attention. He reached out and ran a hand through her short red-blond hair in a playful manner. It was a mess even before he did it. “Where’s Sunny?”

“He’s meeting with investors to see about launching a new game idea he had.” Dawn sniffled again. “I’m  just , I don’t know.”

“Why don’t ye come upstairs with me to talk to Marianne?” Bog placed a hand on her shoulder.

“I don’t want to bother Marianne. She’s  really snappy with me lately.” Dawn looked down at the floor, stepping away from Bog.

“What is wrong?” Bog leaned down to be at Dawn’s level, his hand still on her shoulder. He mumbled his equation to check on her. She was fine,  just still pregnant. Bog wished there was some way he could help her out, but this wasn’t something he could do anything about. Her hormones were out of alignment, and it was best not to meddle with them.

“I haven’t been able to find a job.” Dawn finally whispered.

“Is that all?” Bog grinned, patting her on the shoulder. “I can fix that problem. Go make a copy of your resume, and I will give it to the appropriate people.”

“ Really ?” Dawn looked up  hopefully . “I’ve been trying hard to find something, and nobody calls me back.”

“Dawn, I will find something right for ye.” Bog smiled  warmly at her and gave her a quick hug, then wiped her tears away to find a more cheerful Dawn underneath. She hugged him  fiercely then bounced off singing a happy little tune. Bog loved his future sister-in-law. She brought about the need to protect her in the same way Marianne did, which was normal. Dawn was family, and Bog liked the feeling that she was the little sister he had never had. He would find her something suitable.

-=-=-=-=- 

Marianne jumped out of her chair and sent it spinning off into a cabinet when Bog walked into her studio. She ran up to him and threw her arms around him. It was becoming her standard greeting for Bog. She was so happy to see him when he walked into a room. Bog responded, in the same way, each time. He made a pleasant rumbling mmmm sound and wrapped himself around Marianne. Bog surrounded her with comforting warmth and his pleasant smell.

“Ye remember yer threat to cook me under a table?” Bog kissed the top of Marianne’s head.

“Yeah, and I’m going to do it!” Marianne pulled back to give Bog a grin that was  surprisingly scary in its intensity. Bog loved that look. It was exciting.

“I thought we would make it a community event. We can use the school kitchen and cook a Thanksgiving dinner for those who don’t have families or aren’t as well off.” Bog let Marianne go and pulled up the chair he usually sat in. “If ye can  really cook.” He added with  slightly narrowed eyes and a thin smile.

“I can cook!” Marianne shot back  fiercely , sitting on the edge of her desk so that she was next to Bog.

“I haven’t seen any evidence of it.” Bog smirked, leaning back in his chair.

“I can!” Marianne stuck her lower lip out. “It’s Sunny and Dawn’s job right now. I don’t want to take it away from them.”

“Would ye like to come over for dinner on Friday night? We should have a regular date night like that. What is your favorite meal?” Bog’s eyes twinkled, considering more playful teasing. He loved the variety of expressions he could get out of Marianne with a few well-placed words.

“I’m not picky, Bog. I like  just about everything, but since we’re going to have a lot of steak on Wednesday,  probably not steak.” Marianne grinned. She liked the thought of Bog cooking for her. She knew he was a great cook and would  probably turn out something fantastic. “And I’ll cook for you on Saturday night at my house? What do you like to eat?”

“Meat.” Bog bared his teeth at Marianne,  momentarily forgetting his self-consciousness. “I like meat.”

“Okay. Meat.” Marianne nodded with a smirk. “Right off the cow, or would you like it  gently warmed in the sunlight?”

“Sounds great.” Bog reached out to take Marianne’s hand and pull himself closer to her.

“Bog. I have a little question about why I pay for things, and my bank account isn’t  being debited anymore.” Marianne looked at him  curiously .

“I told them they are not to charge ye for anything.” Bog shrugged. “I don’t  technically pay for anything myself except tips, so I tip  generously . Things do not work here quite the same as they do in other towns. I am their King. I gave up trying to pay for things long ago, and ye will get the same treatment.” Bog lowered his head for a moment, frowning. “I didn’t want ye paying THAT day when I was such an awful date.”

“But I wanted to take you out.” Marianne’s eyes drifted to the painting Bog had given her sitting over the windows. 

“It’s not necessary, Marianne.” Bog shook his head and scowled. 

“I don’t want you paying for everything.” Marianne’s eyes glimmered as a touch of anger began rising within her. “It’s not right. I should pay on occasion.”

Bog stared at her for a moment, still scowling. “That’s not how it works, Marianne.”

“I want to pay too. It doesn’t mean as much if you’re paying every time we do something, or it’s free.” Marianne slid off the desk and took a few steps away from Bog.

“It does not matter, Marianne.” Bog rose from the chair and  unintentionally loomed over her lifting a hand to point a finger at her. “Ye do not have to worry about it.”

“It does!” Marianne stepped closer so that his finger was hitting her in the shoulder. She glared up into his face, inches away. “I want you to tell them to start taking money out of my account when I pay for things. I can’t treat you to anything if you’re the one paying for it.”

“That’s not how it works here,” Bog growled, not backing down. None of this mattered. Why couldn’t she see that none of this was important? The town accepted them as a married couple without any vows exchanged. That was how it was with Lyceans. They were at a point where they would not  be separated by anything.

Except Marianne wasn’t a Lycean. Bog turned and left, stomping down the stairs and out the front door, leaving Marianne watching him go. He had to leave. He didn’t want to make it worse. 

Marianne  was stunned when Bog left. She remembered back to the last time she had lost her temper at him, and he had reacted in a completely different way. He was always quiet and shy. That was gone. He would stand up to her now that he knew where they stood with each other. Marianne sank into the chair Bog had been sitting in. The seat was warm, and she felt terrible about arguing with him and making him leave. Marianne couldn’t understand how wanting to give things to Bog from her own earnings was a bad thing. Why couldn’t he see that it wouldn’t be from her if she didn’t have to actually pay for it?

-=-=-=-=- 

Bog stopped on Marianne’s porch and sat on the steps to think. He slumped forward with his head in his hands, trying to work through a solution. He couldn’t understand Marianne’s point of view. The door to her house opened and closed. Bog could hear her stepping  lightly on the porch. 

“I’m sorry about that.” Marianne dropped to her knees behind him. She slid her hands over his shoulders and leaned her head next to his. “I  just feel like I can’t show you I love you if I can’t buy you things too. I can’t buy you things if nobody takes my money.”

“I don’t need ye to show me ye love me like that,” Bog shrugged, leaning his head against hers. He lifted a hand to  gently stroke Marianne’s arm. “Ye told me ye do. That is all I need.”

“You paid off my debt to Roland. I doubt anyone gave you a discount on that.”

“Because I love ye.” He paused in thought as he got what she was saying. “I’m not sure how to do what ye want. Ye have human notions about how relationships work, and I have Lycean ones. I’ve been trying to do what ye expect.”

“I’m not sure I understand.” Marianne stood up and moved to sit beside Bog.

“Humans date and get to know each other then decide if they want to get married, right? That’s why ye want to pay too and not have a man paying for everything?” Bog searched for the best way to explain it. 

“Yes.”

“Lyceans do not need that. Dates are  just for fun together. We already know we love each other.” Bog paused and hung his head as he  was forced to say it, “Yer human. Ye doubt and want to prove things when ye don’t have to. I want to have fun with ye, not argue over who is paying for what when that means nothing to me.”

“Oh.” Marianne finally understood. “Does that bother you?”

“It worries me.” Bog looked her in the eyes, his own bright with concern. “I love ye so much. I,I worry that ye will decide ye don’t love me someday.” He looked away. “That doesn’t happen with Lyceans.”

Marianne scooted into Bog’s lap, grabbed him around the neck, and kissed him. He didn’t protest, but she couldn’t help but feel he was cautious as he kissed back. “I will never leave you, Bog. You are stuck with me.”

“ I believe ye.” Bog smiled, running a hand up her back and into her hair. “I never want to lose ye, Marianne. Doesn’t mean we’re always going to agree on everything, but I want ye to know I will always love ye, Love.”

“Okay.” Marianne sighed, leaning her forehead against his. “It still feels weird to me to be able to do things without thinking about the cost.” Then she laughed. “OH! I know a way around this! We have to leave town on occasion and let me pick it up!”

“I’m okay with that.” Bog grinned. “If ye insist. Remember, I’m paying for dinner with yer father.”

“Would you like to get your sparring equipment, and I can show you what I can do?” Marianne suggested. 

“Sure! I can heal us if anything gets out of hand.” Bog gave Marianne a good firm hug. “Meet ya in my backyard in five minutes.”

-=-=-=-=- 

Bog stepped through the front door of his house to find his mother heading his way with his phone in hand. “Bogdan, you got a call from the Caretaker.”

“Huh.” Bog took the phone and turned toward the stairs. “Wonder what he’s calling about.”

“Amber is stirring, Bog. She has asked to see you.”

Bog stopped and turned back to his mother. “It’s only been 25 years since the last time she awoke and asked for us. Isn’t that early?”

“She’s waking up because of you and Marianne.” Zelda grinned. “She wants to see you and her. Not me.”

“Oh. No.” Bog groaned. “I’m going to have to explain to Amber that’s not going to happen. I don’t want to scare Marianne.”

“This is tradition, Bog. It’s also an honor that you can not reject. You make Amber mad, and you know what will happen.” His mother scolded him.

“Amber is a lot to take in, Mom. I don’t know how much Marianne knows about Familiarses Feralis.” Bog scowled at his phone. “I’ll see her by myself first.”

-=-=-=-=- 

Amber waking up? Asking for him? The last time she had woke up was when Bog’s great grandfather had died. She had known. That creature was frightening and had summoned Bog and his mother to her. And what had she done?

Nothing.

Bog went into his studio and prepared to call. Amber had denied him the gift that he had  been told stories about since he was a small child. She had denied him that gift while accepting him as her master because he was 17 and had not found his match. Then Amber had slept. She woke  occasionally to feed or take a walk through the surrounding forest. She was only asking for him because she had a bond with all the Lyceans and Atlanteans in the surrounding area. She had sensed when Bog allowed his feelings for Marianne to come out and sealed his connection to her.

Amber was the town’s biggest secret, a Mother that had come from the original Lycean Mother.  Every decade one of those magnificent creatures would produce a single egg to replace them if they  were killed . The Laird’s stole Amber’s egg when they left Lycea. The city fell shortly afterward to the Arcadians.

Bog remembered the stories. His family fled Lycea rather than defend it. They had  been called cowards at first, but the Arcadians were too powerful. Lycea  was led by overconfident rulers who could not face reality. Their constant twisting of alchemy was what had triggered the Arcadians. They considered their sciences an abomination, and what they created was no better.

The Lairds left, taking with them the greatest treasures they could carry. Knowledge. And one Mother egg. Amber had produced several small batches of eggs since they settled into their new home. 15 to 20 eggs were enough to start a new species of Familarses Feralis. It wouldn’t have been enough to maintain a breeding population of normal animals. The first generation had compacted DNA that varied genetics through the second generation.

The results of Amber’s prior clutches  were spread throughout the town to those they chose. The Primes were special. They picked out their masters. Bog knew them all, but his family did not currently have one. He had never seen a hatching. The stories stated that he and his family would  be given priority in this case. This was Amber’s gift. A new species to mark her master’s union.

He took a breath and grinned as excitement welled up within him. This would be a great honor, but it had to  be handled with care. He would speak with Amber alone and hope she would not insist on meeting Marianne.

Bog set up the visit for early Saturday morning. He would have plenty of time to go out and speak to Amber and be home before Marianne even thought about getting up. Right now, he needed to go have some fun with Marianne.

The collection of protective padding and wooden weapons in Bog’s bedroom closet took up half of it. While he and his friends could heal, it took a lot of energy. Wearing padding meant they could spar for more extended periods of time. There were times where they did attempt to beat each other senseless without armor. He was not about to do that to Marianne. He didn’t want to hurt her.

Bog walked into the backyard with his arms full. He carried protective padding, two wooden practice swords, and a massive wooden staff. Marianne was sitting on one of the swings waiting for him. “Do we  really need all that?”

“I would prefer it,” Bog grunted, setting everything onto the other porch swing. He picked up several pieces of padding and handed them to Marianne. “If ye don’t mind.” Marianne frowned and took them.

“This time, yer not taking me off guard.” Bog fixed Marianne with a serious glare. He stamped his massive oak staff on the ground, then he twirled it  effortlessly . Bog  cockily shifted his hand, and the staff spun around a single finger. He was showing off.

“It hardly seems fair that I have a sword, and you have a stick.” Marianne did a practice thrust and parry move in the air with her sword. Both were wearing padding over their chests, arms, and shoulders. Bog had also insisted on helmets.

“Have ye ever fought against someone not using a sword?” Bog began moving to the side.

“No.” Marianne turned her side to Bog, following him and looking for an opening.

“It’s not the same thing. Now show me what ye got, Tough Girl.” Bog sneered and struck out at her with astounding speed. Marianne stood her ground and countered with her wooden sword. It wasn’t the right move. The sword bounced off the hard wood, and the blade smacked into her helmet.

Then it was on. Bog danced around Marianne as she attempted to get close enough to hit him. He kept her at bay with well-practiced moves. He blocked every strike and smacked her in the stomach and shoulders a few times.

After a few minutes, Marianne realized that she needed to pay closer attention to what Bog was doing. He was somehow faster than she was. Was she giving him some sort of subtle hints about what move she was going to use? That had been one of Marianne’s weaknesses in competition. 

Marianne smiled, dancing back a few steps and taking a breath. Bog began showing off, spinning the staff again and daring her to come in. The staff was only good when she was at arm’s length. If she got in close, she could hit him. Marianne cleared her mind and let instinct take over as she rushed Bog with her sword up.

“Whoa!” He laughed as he countered the sword up high. It made a pleasant thwacking sound as it hit. Then Bog crashed to the ground. Marianne had twisted beneath the staff. She slammed into his stomach with her shoulder. One of her legs had swept up at the same time to catch him behind a knee to help bring him down. Bog yelped and attempted to counter a flurry of blows coming at him. Several made it through before Bog growled and managed to get his staff back in control. Bog smiled and thrust the staff up as hard as he could, catching Marianne in the stomach and throwing her free.

Marianne found herself on the ground a moment later, her sword flying out of her hands. Then she laid there for a moment to catch her breath. Even through the padding, that had hurt.

Bog was up and coming at her. For a moment, Marianne felt a surge of panic rising through her at the sight of him. He  was hunched forward and stalking toward her with a frightening leer on his face. The staff  was held out in front of him, ready for action. Marianne didn’t want to play anymore. She wanted to run or actually fight.

“Marianne?” Bog stood up straight and dropped the staff like it was on fire. He rushed up to her and knelt on the ground. The look on her face was one of pure terror, and it  was directed at him. “Are ye okay? Did I hit ye too hard?”

“I’m okay.” Marianne reminded herself as she sat up. This is Bog. This is not Roland. He was playing. “Don’t look like you  really want to hurt me when we do this, okay?”

“Oh.” Bog nodded, wrapping his arms around Marianne. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. Usually, I do this with my friends.”

“It was fun.” Marianne smiled, leaning into the comfort of Bog’s embrace. “Keep it fun with me.”

“Want to do something else?” Bog offered.

“Give me a moment.” Marianne laughed. She had to get over this. She needed these scars that Roland had left on her to go away.  Maybe confronting them was what she needed. “Let’s go again!”

“Great!” Bog grinned, helping Marianne to her feet. “Because yer impressive with that sword.”

“I’m not that good.” Marianne blushed.

“Ye  just need practice. Ye figured out how to counter me and take me down, so that says something.” Bog retrieved Marianne’s sword and offered it to her. “My friends keep trying to disarm me and aren’t as fast or clever.”

“Thank you.” Marianne grinned, accepting it. “Let’s go!” She thrust her sword at Bog.

“I’ll get a sword this time.” Bog chuckled.

The two sparred for hours, working out the stress they were under. They switched weapons a few times. Bog showed her how to wield his staff and Marianne showing him better sword techniques. She had  been taught some of them by Arawn. She recalled it only because her father had mentioned him a couple of days earlier. Bog caught on quick, and soon they were all over the yard trying to beat each other senseless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At some point, they're going to figure out Dawn is pregnant, but NOT TODAY!  
Little fights do happen. I don't like perfect relationships where there are never arguments or disagreements. These things always seem important at the time, and dumb afterward.


	4. November 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to break the news to Lucas Summers that his daughter is marrying a man she barely knows.

November 6 

-=-=-=-=- 

Marianne had seen Bog driving three different vehicles and a motorcycle. She hadn’t been sure of where he kept them since he only had a two-car garage. Half of it  was taken up by woodworking equipment. One vehicle, his mother’s sedan, was usually in the garage. Whatever vehicle Bog chose to drive at the time was always in the driveway.

“How many cars do you have?” Marianne asked. Bog was driving his truck, and she was along for the ride to pick up the vehicle they were taking to dinner that evening.

“Enough.” Bog kept his eyes on the road, embarrassed to admit it. He was only going to show Marianne one of his storage units. He had three more next to it. Most of them held old antique cars that had belonged to his family over the years. There was even a buggy in one of them. He was going to the one with cars that were his. 

Bog hoped that Marianne wouldn’t know enough about cars to know how much money he had spent on one of them. It had arrived a few days earlier, and Bog hadn’t even seen it yet. He had bought it for the wedding and special occasions. Bog wasn’t even sure he could bring himself to drive it. It was the most expensive vehicle he had ever bought, and it was a gift for Marianne.

The storage place was outside of town. Bog parked in front of one of the large garages near the back. He pulled out a small garage opener, and the doors lifted. The lights  automatically turned on, and Bog pulled his truck inside. Marianne got out before he could walk around to open her door. She ran out into the middle of the storage unit to look at what Bog had inside. There were four motorcycles parked in a perfect line in one spot. Marianne didn’t know a lot about motorcycles, but she knew they were expensive. The bikes were big and black with accents in coppery orange and amber. Two bore large Harley-Davidson logos. They were all powerful-looking machines and well taken care of. 

Bog walked up behind Marianne and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Do ye like motorcycles? Can ye drive?”

“They’re nice to look at, but I’ve never driven one,” Marianne replied with a smile.

“I’ll have to take ye out on one sometimes. Now, we need to decide what we’re taking tonight. I doubt yer dad’s going to want to see me drive ye up on a motorcycle.” Bog smirked and turned Marianne to look at the cars. 

There were seven vehicles in the garage, including Bog’s beat-up truck. There were two Mustangs. Both were black. One was a convertible. Then there was a black Challenger. This was one she had often seen Bog in. Next to it was an older looking black Impala. Bog chuckled, running his hand over the hood of the Impala.

Marianne stared at the car, then at Bog. “ Seriously ? You.  Seriously ?” She began laughing, and Bog’s face turned bright red.

“Ye know why I have this one, don’t you? She’s my ‘Baby.’” Bog grinned.

“You are such a nerd sometimes.” Marianne giggled, running up to the car. She ran her hands over the hood, then walked along the side to try the door.

“What does that make ye if ye know what it is!” Bog walked after her, still smiling.

“Is it  just the same model or one of the actual cars used on Supernatural?” Marianne slid into the driver’s seat and bounced  excitedly . The interior looked like new.

“Actual car. It wasn’t in this shape when I got it. It’s  been restored .” Bog leaned over the driver’s side resting his arms on the roof. “Like it?”

“I love it. Please tell me it runs and I can drive it!” Marianne giggled.

“Can ye drive a stick?” Bog gestured to the gear shift.

“I can.” Marianne nodded  enthusiastically . “I would love to show up in this, but it wouldn’t give the right impression.”

“I know.” Bog stepped back. “I figured we’d take the CR-V.” 

Marianne sighed as she closed the door to the Impala. “Out of curiosity, why would you watch and enjoy a tv show about Hunters?”

“The point of it isn’t that they are Hunters. The point is relationships and fighting evil. Even they don’t hunt  indiscriminately .” Bog waited for Marianne to join him. “Hunters believe all Lyceans should die like your ex did. He hunted children, Marianne. He murdered children.” Bog made a disgusted face.

Marianne had felt elated, but then Bog had to bring up Roland and the photos. “He was awful.” Marianne sighed. Her secret began eating at her.

“Anyway, what do you think?” Bog motioned to the black CR-V, but Marianne wasn’t looking at it. Her eyes  were locked on the beautiful satiny, dark purple vehicle next to it. She walked to it like she was in a trance. She couldn’t place why it drew her to it, but it was beautiful, with a style that hearkened back to another time. It was elegant and one of the most impressive cars she had ever seen. She wasn’t a car person, but this one was beautiful. She reached out  tentatively to touch the hood. 

“What is this?” Marianne ran her fingers over the hood and walked around it.

“That is a Rolls-Royce Phantom.” Bog followed her, pleased that she liked it.

“Wow.” Marianne walked around the car with her hand on it. “This isn’t a car I would expect you to have. It’s not you.”

“No. It’s not.” Bog grinned. “It’s yers.”

Marianne spun around and looked at him  incredulously . ‘This is a Rolls, Bog. I KNOW they’re  insanely expensive.”

“Yea, so please do not go and look up how much this one was online.” Bog grinned. “Do ye like it? It’s not an everyday car, of course. It’ll last a lifetime.”

“I love it!” Marianne looked from the car to Bog. She jumped into his arms, almost knocking him down. “Please stop doing things like this!” She laughed.

“I’m confused!” Bog grinned, hugging her back. “Do ye want me to send it back?”

“NO! I can’t wait to drive it!” Marianne snapped back in a hyper, aggressive tone, her smile lighting up her face.

“Another day.” Bog smiled. “I’d prefer ye not drive it until after the wedding.”

“I can’t drive in a wedding dress!” Marianne exclaimed.

“We’ll have a driver that day, Princess.” Bog took Marianne’s hand to lead her to the car they were actually taking out. “I promise ye will be the first one of us to drive it.”

Marianne squeezed Bog’s hand as he walked to the CR-V. It was a better choice. She came from a family that likely had a comparative fortune to Bog’s. They had that fortune because, like Bog’s family, they lived at a humble level. Their family home was a mansion and far bigger than Bog’s house. But the Summers also often had extended family staying with them. That was their biggest extravagance. 

Bog smiled down at Marianne. He was going to spoil his lovely human wife like the Queen he felt she was. Bog was going to make sure she had everything she wanted out of her short life.

-=-=-=-=- 

Bog pulled at his collar as he navigated the early evening traffic. He was wearing a black dress shirt and black slacks for the evening. The stiff shirt was annoying and  distractingly itchy. Bog  continually adjusted the stiff collar. Marianne was sitting in the passenger seat, fidgeting with the radio dials. She was wearing a simple button-up blouse.  It was black at the top with an elegant, flowery design in purple, pink, and white spreading over the shoulders and chest . The black faded into a vibrant purple that went down past her hips. Marianne finished off her outfit with straight-leg black dress pants. She was also wearing the sandals Bog had bought for her.

“What do you like to listen to, Bog?” Marianne stopped on a station playing a current song.

“I like music.” Bog smirked. “I appreciate it all.”

“Even hip hop?” Marianne wrinkled her nose in distaste.

“I’ll never say I don’t like a whole genre of music because there is a lot of variety in them.”

“Okay, so anything I want goes!” Marianne pushed the scan button and stopped it on the happiest song she could find. A current-day remake of Sugar Pie Honey Bunch began playing through the speakers. Then Marianne sat back and smiled at Bog, wanting to see  just how long he tolerated the peppy song.

“Ugh.” Bog made a face. “That’s not love. That’s a mental condition waiting to happen or a stalker in the making.”

Marianne laughed and moved to a different station, turning it down low. She sat for a moment, steepling her fingers. “Bog, can you tell me what you’re going to say to my father? How are we going to do this?”

“I’m going to tell him that ye proposed to me and wouldn’t stop pestering me to marry ye. So I  just finally got worn down and gave in.” Bog grinned, not looking at Marianne as he spoke.

“No! Don’t you dare!” Marianne  playfully punched his shoulder.

“Ow. Yer so mean!” Bog flinched back  dramatically . “See, ye wore me down!”

“What are you  really going to say?”

Bog’s face flushed a light shade of pink, and he made a face. “I am going to say, Sir, I love yer daughter. She is an extraordinary woman. Smart, talented, beautiful, and strong. I can not imagine life without her, and she has expressed the same to me. She has accepted my proposal. I would have liked to have done this the right way, being a traditional man, but that could not  be helped . I would like to ask for your blessing on our union.”

Marianne smiled, a blush spreading over her cheeks as Bog spoke. Then she sighed, looking away. “He’s going to say no, Bog. I know he will.”

“Should I have brought my University transcripts and a printout of my bank account?” Bog scowled.

“We could do it together?” Marianne tapped her chin  thoughtfully , looking out her window.

“Okay. You start.”

“I love this guy. I’m going to marry him!” Marianne turned and grinned at Bog. “Can we get your blessing?”

“Yeah,  I think ye need a bit more.” Bog smirked.

“How about this.” Bog took a deep breather. “Sir, I love Marianne. She is the love of my life, and I am honored that she wants me in hers and has accepted my proposal of marriage. I will love her to my last breath and see to it that she never wants for anything. We would like to have yer blessing on our union.”

“Go with that one.” Marianne’s cheeks were bright red. When Bog spoke, it meant so much more than anything Roland had ever told her, because she knew he meant every word. She could hear it in his voice, and it sent warm shivers through her body.

-=-=-=-=- 

Prime was a busy restaurant. Bog let Marianne off at the entrance to the restaurant. Then he went off to search for a parking spot in a very full parking lot. Lucas Summers was already there and waiting at a table. He had hoped he would get to have a few minutes alone with Marianne and was glad to see she came in unaccompanied. Lucas called Dawn the day after he spoke with Marianne and was unable to get anything out of her. She had seemed  overly emotional and happy to talk to her father. He had gotten nowhere with her.

“Marianne.” Her father smiled, rising from the table to give his daughter a hug. She more than  happily returned the gesture. She loved her father and had always been a daddy’s girl as a child. When Marianne left home, it had been on the worst terms possible. Her father had broken her heart by taking a step back from the situation with Roland. She wanted to mend their relationship. Marianne wanted him in her life again.

“Dad. It’s so good to see you.” Marianne smiled, patting her father on the back, “And under better circumstances.”

“Marianne.” Lucas sighed, gesturing for her to sit down. “We need to talk.”

“Dad.” Marianne frowned and remained standing in defiance. An uncomfortable cold prickling rippled through her back.

“Please sit. I don’t want to argue with you, Marianne.” Lucas held his hand, motioning to the chair again. “I like your new hairstyle. It looks nice.”

“Father.” Marianne hissed. “You are not going to tell him no. Do you hear me? This is my choice.”

“I’m afraid you’re rushing into this, Marianne. After the whole Roland thing, I would have expected you to take your time.” Her father remained standing and began whispering. “Are you  really in love, or is it  just that he’s available?” He touched Marianne’s shoulder  gently .

“It’s been over a year.” Marianne didn’t move. She glanced back to the entrance, looking for Bog. “I don’t want to argue with you, Dad.” She sat down, and Lucas sat across from her.

“You need to tell me the truth, Marianne. Is Bogdan a human or a Lycean?” Lucas kept his eyes on the entrance.

“Tell me, Dad, does it matter if I’m happy with him?” Marianne scowled, not committing to an answer.

“I don’t know him, Marianne.” Lucas shook his head. “You and I need to have a conversation alone at home about Bogdan.” Lucas sat back and smiled at Marianne. She scowled back at him, not sure what he was doing until Bog walked by her chair to greet her father.

“Sir.” Bog held out his hand  politely . Marianne couldn’t help but notice the tremble that passed through his hand. Her father rose and accepted the gesture.

“Bogdan.” Lucas smiled like he was  perfectly okay with this, and Marianne felt a little ill. She knew where this was going, and she was helpless to do anything about it. Her father sat down, and Bog walked around to the chair next to her and took his place. Marianne turned in her chair and looked up at him. Bog smiled, completely unaware of what was going on. Marianne slid an arm up around his neck and pulled herself up to kiss him.

Bog  was taken off guard by the gesture. He kissed back  awkwardly and pulled back to reach for a menu. His cheeks  were flushed again. He was uncomfortable with any displays of affection in front of Marianne’s father. Bog glanced at Lucas Summers. Then he distracted himself by looking over the meat selection that  was offered . Lucas was giving him a distinct look of disapproval, and Bog wasn’t sure what he had done. This was all new territory.

Marianne turned and glared at her father, daring him to say anything. She scooted her chair a little closer to Bog so that she could touch him. She put her left hand on his leg. Bog stared at her from behind his menu and mouthed, ‘What are ye doing?’ to her. He was so confused.

After a few moments, Bog made up his mind to do something about what was going on. He set the menu down, sighed, and looked at Lucas. The man was watching him while pretending to go over his menu. “Sir, may I have a word with you?” Marianne kicked Bog’s leg under the table and shot a glare at him. Bog returned the glare.

“ I believe that would be appropriate.” Lucas nodded, setting his menu down and rising to his feet. “Outside. Marianne. Stay here.” The look on Marianne’s face could have killed a man. Bog glanced from her to her father. “I will not ask, Marianne. Don’t worry about it. That is a conversation between you and me.”

Bog and Lucas made their way to the front of the restaurant, leaving Marianne stewing behind them. They walked outside and stopped in front of a nearby shop to talk. “Ye know why we are here?” Bog asked immediately.

“I do, and I can not give you and Marianne my blessing until I know more about you.” Lucas sighed. “I am not saying no. I am not saying yes.”

“Is there anything I can do that would convince ye of how much I love yer daughter? I only have the best of intentions.” Bog kept his voice even. “She proposed to me, by the way. She didn’t want me to say that.”

“Sounds like Marianne,” Lucas smirked.

“I told her that we needed to wait.” Bog lowered his gaze. “I’m patient.  I believe we are worth waiting for if that is what it takes.”

“Marianne is not going to wait.” Lucas reached out and patted Bog on the shoulder. “If you know anything about her, you know she is impatient. When she has her eyes set on something, she’s going to get it.”

“I do.” Bog nodded. “I like that. I uh, to be honest, I’m not rushing her. We haven’t set a date.”

“Good.” Lucas sighed and looked back at the restaurant entrance. “Let’s go enjoy dinner.  Just a warning, but Marianne is going to be mad the entire time.”

“I know.”

“I’m sure you’re a good man, Bogdan,” Lucas walked past him. “I’ve made mistakes that hurt Marianne. I don’t want to see her hurt again.” Bog swallowed hard at that statement. He followed Lucas back inside, feeling deflated.

-=-=-=-=- 

In the few minutes that Lucas and Bog had been outside, Marianne had ordered two glasses of red wine. One was empty, and the other was half full. Her cheeks  were flushed , and she had a scowl fixed on her face. Bog looked at her in concern as he took his seat. 

“Slow down, Love.” Bog reached for the glass she was clutching in her hands. He didn’t want to make that move, but he  was worried that she might have too much and slip up about him.

“Get your own.” Marianne scowled, clutching the glass.

Bog glanced at Lucas, then back to Marianne. “We can leave if ye want to.” He whispered, offering her an out from an uncomfortable situation.

“No.” Marianne sighed and put her wine glass in front of Bog. “I’ll get over it. Let’s eat.” She forced a smiled and flagged down a waiter.

-=-=-=-=- 

Dinner started out with cold silence. Lucas ignored Marianne and started conversing with Bog. He knew his daughter well. She would loosen up if he showed a genuine interest in Bog.

Bog, for his part, was uncomfortable. He attempted to converse with Lucas. Bog  continually checked Marianne’s mood. She was sulking and picking at her food. He didn’t dare touch her.

“I own several businesses.” Bog  suddenly stated, deciding it was time to show off a little. “I don’t actually have to work at this point. I do it because I don’t believe in being idle.”

“What kind of businesses are you into?” Lucas inquired. “I run several myself.  Mostly in security.”

“Restaurants and retail  primarily .” Bog began enjoying the aged slices of beef on his plate. Good food helped to loosen him up. “I own quite a bit of land as well.”

“Where are you and Marianne going to live if you get married? I seem to recall you live with your mother?”

“She lives with me.” Bog grunted. “I have several houses. Most  are rented out or occupied by families in need.”

“You do charity work?”

“You could say that. I help where I can.” Bog smiled. “Nobody goes hungry in my town. Has Marianne mentioned our Thanksgiving dinner plans? We’re going to have a cooking competition. We’ll be serving everything up to the residents who aren’t as well off or don’t have families.”

“That sounds nice.” Lucas turned his attention to Marianne. “Are you going to win, or is Bogdan a better chef?”

“I’m going to win,” Marianne smirked. She raised her eyes to look at her father. Bog  was worried as he saw the intense gleam light up Marianne’s eyes. “You should come.”

“I’d be happy to.” 

“Can she  really cook?” Bog held up a hand between himself and Marianne to whisper to Lucas.

“She can.” Lucas held up a hand as well between himself and Marianne. “She hasn’t cooked for you yet?”

“I’ve cooked for her.”

Marianne frowned, looking from her father to Bog. She could only see their hands as they whispered  loudly . Then her stubborn mood began to fade. The two most important men in her life were getting along fine, and she was the one being a problem. Marianne sighed and smiled. “I’m going to be cooking dinner on Saturday night.” 

“What are you making?” Lucas dropped his hand to the table and turned his attention to Marianne. Bog did the same, smiling at her.

“It’s a surprise.” Marianne grinned, taking a big bite of the venison that was on her plate.  Suddenly , she was hungry.

-=-=-=-=-

The rest of the evening went well. Lucas felt better about Bog and Marianne when dinner ended, and they went their separate ways. The couple walked away arm in arm. Lucas still had questions, but he was more at ease with Bog as a person. Lucas had paid close attention to everything Bog did. The looks he had given Marianne were those of a man  genuinely in love.

Bog had been polite, considerate, and patient with Marianne. He appeared to be a man who would stand up to her when it was necessary. He seemed like the perfect complement to Marianne. Lucas scowled as he realized that was exactly the kind of man she needed. He had sought out a man he thought would be a good match for her, a man who was confident, bold, and would challenge her. It was his fault that Marianne had ended up beaten by Roland. Lucas had let his pride in being a good judge of character get in the way of Marianne’s safety.

Marianne needed someone who respected her choices. Someone who would be there when her decisions might be too rash. A man who let her be who she was instead of confining her into a role. Lucas got a sense from Bog that he was that kind of person. He felt guilty that he was not. Lucas had tried to give his daughter the room she needed. But his desire to keep her safe often overruled what Marianne wanted. He had lost his wife by never saying no to her. He couldn’t lose his unique eldest child too.

Thankfully , Lucas did not have any problems with Dawn. She had no interest in hunting or alchemy. She had done her studies and had her eyes set on boys the moment she hit 13. Lucas had endured Dawn’s constant flirtation with EVERY boy over the following years. But she never argued with him. Dawn was so bright and cheerful. She could have ended up with a worse man than Sunny. Lucas wasn’t happy when Sunny came to him, asking for his daughter’s hand in marriage. He had been livid and almost chased him out of the house  entirely .

Marianne had been waiting for him outside his office, along with Dawn. She had come ready for war with her father over Sunny. And she won. Marianne was amazing at negotiations. She came prepared with an array of reasons that Sunny was perfect for Dawn and how much Dawn loved him. In the end, Lucas felt good about the engagement. Why? Because his baby girl would be safe with Sunny. He would not drag her to the ends of the earth, looking for creatures to hunt and kill for a livelihood. They would settle in a lovely little house and have regular jobs. Nobody needed to know that his bloodline had become diluted with Atlantean blood.

Lucas still needed to talk to Marianne. But he was leaning toward giving his blessing based on the last few hours and knowing his daughter. It didn’t matter if Bog was a human or a Lycean as long as he loved Marianne. He could accept that. There were still a few intriguing things he wanted to look into about Bog. Like how he had stated that nobody went hungry in his town. He said it with pride. He said it as though he actually OWNED the town. Lucas was going to do a little more in-depth research into how much land Bog owned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Marianne 100% had the idea that when they leave the wedding, she could drive that fantastic car. :D


	5. November 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marianne has an unwelcome/welcome visitor and it's date night at Bog's house. What does he have planned?

**November 8**

-=-=-=-=-

Arawn had been on the road for days. He had rented an inconspicuous vehicle, a black Kia Optima, and was enjoying the drive. He had a map printed up of Roland’s route and was backtracking where he had been, driving the same path. Arawn had a list of names of Arcadians who lived near the route. He had already stopped and spoken to several of them.

None of the people Arawn spoke to had seen Roland when he passed through their towns. Arawn was wasting time. He had a name on the list that was a prime suspect, and he didn’t want to have to interrogate her, but she was the prime suspect. Marianne Summers. Arawn had forgotten that Roland and Marianne were to  be married  . He hadn’t given it much mind after it  was called  off. The reasons were none of his business. He had  been invited  to the wedding. He hadn’t known there was a lawsuit until he looked into Roland’s missing memory. The young hunter might not have figured it out, but Arawn had.

Knowing what Roland had done and the likelihood that she  was involved  did not sit well with Arawn. Being able to wipe memories was not in the Summer’s bloodline. That meant Marianne would know who did it, and he was going to have to ask who it was. Arawn had no intention of dragging Marianne or the person who did it into the Arcadis court. But he needed to give a warning to that person.

It was time to talk to Marianne. Her name had  been redacted  from the court documents and every associated document. Her name had  been wiped  clean of anything related to Roland.

-=-=-=-=-

Bog’s house usually smelled good. Both he and his mother cooked and baked a variety of food. Today the smell of smoking chicken permeated his house and yard. Marianne was stuck working in her studio. Bog had work of his own to do as well as preparing a delicious dinner for her. She would be over at 8 that evening.

It was  just  before noon when she heard her doorbell rang. Marianne thought nothing of it. If it were for her, Dawn or Sunny would come up and get her. She heard the door open and looked up at the sound of Dawn squealing  happily . Did Dad decide to drop by? That was the only reason she could think of for Dawn to react like that.

“Marianne! We have company!” Dawn called up the stairs. “You need to come downstairs.”

-=-=-=-=-

Marianne reached the bottom of the stairs and felt the blood drain from her face the moment she laid eyes on him. At first, she thought Bog had come over, but it wasn’t him. Arawn was in her living room. He had an arm around Dawn and was smiling as he talked to her. She had not remembered how tall he was. For a brief moment, she compared him to Bog. He was a couple of inches shorter with a very similar build. Marianne stared.

Arawn’s black hair  was cut  short and sprinkled with more grey than she remembered. He had a trimmed beard that was also black and grey. His face was  heavily  lined with age. Arawn looked up, and Marianne stared into his brilliant blue eyes. There was no way. It was  just  a coincidence that he seemed to have the same build as Bog. Tall, lean, broad shoulders, narrow waist and hips. And the same blue eyes.

“Marianne,” Arawn smiled at her. “We need ta talk.”

The accent. It was more  substantial  than Bog’s but had a similar tone. His voice. It was Bog’s voice, older and more mature, but she could HEAR Bog in it. She hadn’t remembered he had an accent because she had grown used to it as a child.

-=-=-=-=-

Marianne hugged Arawn after closing the door to the spare bedroom. It was a good place to sit and talk. “I haven’t seen you in years, Arawn.”

“I’ve been busy.” Arawn hugged her back, then he settled into one of the two chairs sitting by the window in the small room. He waited for Marianne. It gave him time to study her body language.

Arawn had been a kind of ‘adopted’ member of the Summers family. He had lived with them on and off over the years. He had been a big part of Dawn and Marianne’s lives, and he knew them well.

“Why are you here?” Marianne asked  innocently  . She was trying hard to cover her nervousness and failing  miserably . Marianne was gripping her hands so tight that her knuckles were turning white.

“Why do ya think I am here?” Arawn replied. Marianne was giving him odd looks that weren’t fitting with her nervousness. She looked like she was trying to figure something out.

“Roland.” Marianne met his eyes again.

“Aye. What are you going to tell me, Marianne?” Arawn’s gaze was intense, and Marianne knew he was examining her every movement.

“That you should keep going on your investigation.” Marianne stated,  stubbornly  maintaining eye contact. “And  maybe  come back around on Thanksgiving?” She smiled, trying to work the conversation in a different direction. “I would like you to meet my fiance.”

“Yer getting married?” Arawn’s expression softened, and it was there again. Marianne had seen that exact look on Bog’s face. This was bizarre. She was seeing things.

“I am. I would introduce you now, but he’s busy.” Marianne smiled. “His name is Bogdan Laird. He’s my neighbor.” She had hoped that the name might trigger a response, but Arawn didn’t react to it.

“He has an accent like yours.” Marianne wasn’t getting any reaction at all.

“Ah,” Arawn chuckled. “Yer marryin’ a Scot?”

“I’m guessing his dad was Scottish. We haven’t talked about it. He lost his father when he was a child. He’s lived most of his life here. He’s a good man.”

“I hope so. Ye deserve a good husband, Marianne. I am sorry for what happened to ye.” Arawn stated, reaching out and taking Marianne’s hand for a moment. He was still interrogating her. “Now, Marianne. Who wiped Roland’s memory, and why?”

“Arawn, Roland found me and tried to kidnap me. He wouldn’t leave me alone. I wasn’t safe. Someone else took care of it.” Marianne pulled her hand away and folded her arms.

“I understand. Ye know there is no way that I am going ta turn in a report that will endanger ye. Ye did nothing wrong.  However  , I need ta know who did it and issue a warning ta them.” Arawn spoke  seriously . “I will not report them. I will not document it.”

“I can’t tell you. Can’t you  just  leave it?”

“No, I can’t.” Arawn shook his head. “I have ta know, so I’m doing my job. I’m giving ye a pass because I have that discretion. But I also have ta reprimand whoever wiped Roland and his friends’ minds.”

Marianne gave him another odd look. “Leave me a number you can  be reached  at, Arawn.”

-=-=-=-=-

Marianne stared out her front window as Arawn got into his car and left. She had a strong feeling that the impossible had occurred. The resemblance was uncanny. Arawn was either Bog’s father or a close relative. It was also possible she was imagining things. She would need to find an appropriate time to ask Bog to tell her about his father and get his name.

She had assumed that Bog’s father was a Lycean like his mother. She would need to approach this with care. Arawn was an Enforcer. He held a high position in the Arcadis government. There could be a valid reason why his family thought he was dead. Marianne could also be imagining things. She sighed. She had to err on the side of caution for Bog’s protection.

-=-=-=-=-

Marianne didn’t get a lot done between the time after Arawn left and when it was time to go over and have dinner with Bog. Her thoughts were full of trying to remember everything about Arawn she could. Most of the memories were good ones. Some were embarrassing. Such as the fact that Marianne remembered having a crush on him when she was a teenager.

If Arawn was Bog’s father, would that be why she had been able to trust him that first night she had fallen asleep in his arms?  Subconsciously , had she known? Then she recalled the stories Arawn told. He was a hunter and a tracker who had taken down many problem Lyceans. How would he have ended up with Bog’s mother while he was doing that? He was still hunting! How could he justify that if had a Lycean wife and son?

Bog’s mother could wipe memories. There was a possibility there. What if Arawn never knew that they were Lyceans? What if he had found out and tried to turn on them, and his wife wiped his memories of them? No. That did not fit Arawn.

Arawn was the kind of man that would never harm an innocent. He had never joined in the hunts for random Lyceans and Atlanteans. He had spoken out against hunting those who were no threat to anyone and kept to themselves. He had argued to the public and to the Arcadis counsel. He was only tolerated because of his unique set of abilities and experience. Arcadis needed him more than he needed them.

As far as Marianne knew, he had never had a wife or any children. He had a few relatives in Scotland, but the Summers had been the closet thing he had to a real family. Still. He hunted and killed Lyceans.

Marianne had written down the questions she needed to ask and who to ask. She would ask Bog about what happened to his father and his father’s name, but not tonight. To line up the timeline, Marianne also needed to ask her own father questions. Then, she needed to make a decision on if she should forget everything and keep her secret or tell Bog or Arawn.

This was not going to be a fun decision to make.

-=-=-=-=-

Marianne arrived for dinner at Bog’s house a few minutes early. She was wearing the red sweater she had worn the first time Bog had asked her to his home for dinner as friends. Marianne also wore the sandals and river pearl necklace Bog had bought for her. She liked wearing something he had given her when she was around him.

Bog answered the door in one of his black dress shirts, grey slacks, and shiny black boots. Marianne had never seen him wear anything shiny before. It was a nice look.  However , he also had a red apron on over his clothes, that had the words Hot Stuff printed on it over a plate of fajitas.

Marianne smiled as she  was invited  in. Bog had spent the day decorating. There were nets of tiny golden lights covering the ceiling giving off a warm, friendly glow. He walked her to the dining room, where the table was set for two. The only lighting came from  strategically  placed candles around the room.

“I’ll be a few minutes longer.” Bog pulled a chair out for Marianne. “Mom’s out for the evening, by the way.” Marianne sat down, and Bog pushed the chair in. He walked away, humming.

Marianne stared at the table. Bog’s mother wasn't at home? She was always at home. Marianne was alone with Bog tonight. Anything could happen. Except Bog had been adamant about how far things would go between them until they  were married .

Bog returned with salad and  freshly  baked breadsticks. He had removed the apron. “Dinner is resting.” Bog grinned, sliding into his seat. “How as your day been, Marianne?” He pushed the salad bowl toward Marianne, offering it to her first.  Thankfully  it was a Caprese salad with a little olive oil mixed in and not a leafy green one.

“Busy.” Marianne smiled, taking a little bit of salad then reaching for a breadstick. Bog immediately pushed the container closer to her, so she didn’t need to get up. “How was yours?”

“I spent the day thinking of you.” Bog helped himself to the salad now that Marianne  was done .

Bog and Marianne enjoyed light conversation and each other’s presence. Bog brought out hand made gnocchi with cubed butternut squash in an alfredo sauce. He had even topped it with shaved Parmesan for their next course.  Then he followed it with smoked rosemary chicken, a baked sweet potato covered in butter and brown sugar, and steamed vegetables fresh from his garden .

Marianne  was impressed . Everything was delicious, but she wasn’t able to finish the main course. Bog took her plate, promising to send it and some of the other leftovers back with her. He came back with two small lemon souffles. Marianne was full, but she ate hers anyway and didn’t regret it.

Bog got up and made a little bow to Marianne. “I hope dinner was satisfactory.”

“The best dinner I’ve ever had, Bog.” Marianne grinned, getting up. She walked toward Bog to give him a hug and a kiss. Bog smiled and backed away, hands up between them. “Bog.” Marianne wrinkled her nose at him.

“Ye do remember the last date I took ye on?”

“We are not on a friends basis anymore.” Marianne stalked toward Bog. He continued evading her. We are getting married!”

“I did not invite ye over for dinner for anything more than serving my love a meal fit for a queen. No strings attached.” Bog grinned, and it was beginning to irritate Marianne. She hadn’t seen our touched him for most of a day! She wanted him, and he denied her. “The date’s over, Love. Time for ye to go home. I’ll walk ye?”

“Bogdan.” Marianne scowled at him. He smiled back, indicating he was not going to argue about it. He turned and headed to his front door. Marianne  reluctantly  followed him. “I am NEVER letting you take me on a date again, Bogdan Laird!”

The walk back to Marianne’s house was more of a dodging game of tag. Bog was enjoying making his point. It made Marianne angrier with each passing moment. Marianne lunged at him and almost caught him, but Bog shifted into his smaller wolf form. He bounded around her, laughing. She could catch him as a man, but as a wolf, he was too fast.

“Stop that!” Marianne growled, snatching for a handful of fur. She ended up falling on her face in the grass. Bog walked around in front of her and crouched.

“Out of curiosity.” Bog’s lips pulled back into a lupine smirk, showing off all his teeth. “Are ye  seriously  going to kiss me like this?”

“I was hoping you’d shift back.” Marianne glared at him. She pushed herself up on her hands and knees.

“Catch me, and I will.” Bog chuckled, splaying his forepaws into the grass. Marianne lunged, and Bog slipped through her fingers. She was up and  seriously  considering using one of her abilities. Instead, she followed him down the street at a run. He was heading to the grassy field and the trees across from his house.

Bog played chase with Marianne for a good hour in the trees until he began to feel guilty about it. She was persistent, but there was no way she was going to catch him. Yet she still tried. Finally, Bog decided to end the game.

Marianne scowled at Bog as he sat upright facing her. His tongue was lolling out of his mouth, and he looked like he was mocking her. She was breathing hard and sweating from all the running, but she wasn’t anywhere near giving up. She ran at Bog and expecting him to dodge to one side or another, jumped to his right.

Bog’s ears flattened back in surprise as Marianne crashed into the ground next to him. He cocked his head and made a face at her, then shifted back into his human form. Marianne grumbled, pushing herself up on her hands and knees. Bog wrapped his arms around her and picked her up the rest of the way. He hugged her  tightly  with her back against his chest.

“Good try, Love, but I’m  just  too fast for ye.” Bog nuzzled the top of her head. Marianne squirmed to turn around and face him. Her face  was red , and she looked very annoyed. It began to dawn on Bog that he might have carried this on a little too long. “I’m sorry?”

Marianne grabbed his head in her hands and pulled him down to kiss her. Bog didn’t think kissing an angry woman could be that enjoyable, but he was wrong. It was like she was claiming a prize with the intensity she put into it. She slid her arms over his shoulders, and both went hands up into his hair. Her fingers were twining all over his head. Then she began doing some exciting things with her tongue.

For a brief moment, Bog considered making her mad like this more often. Then Marianne broke away. She shoved him backward with a deadly gleam in her eyes, turned, and walked away. She said nothing, but her clenched fists and the heated air following her said it all. Bog stared after her. Parts of him wanted to pursue her, but others were speaking more reason that he shouldn’t push it.

Then he noticed that during their chase in the dark, she had ripped her pants and sweater in several places. There were grass stains all over them, and one of her sandals  was broken  . There were smears of blood on her feet where she had stumbled over tree roots and run through bushes. Bog grumbled to himself as passion  was replaced by  guilt.

“I love ye!” Bog shouted.

“I love you too!” Marianne yelled back. She kept going.

-=-=-=-=-

Marianne slammed the front door. She glared across the room,  unintentionally  at Dawn and Sunny. They  were cuddled  up on the couch with mugs of steaming hot chocolate. The fireplace was lit. They looked up at Marianne with matching expressions of awe.

“Did you have a good time at Bog’s?” Sunny’s face cracked as he tried not to smile. “Or in his backyard?”

Dawn stared at her sister with wide eyes. “Doesn’t he have a couch and a bed? That doesn’t look like it was comfortable at all.”

Marianne froze and lifted her arms, taking a good look at herself in the  brightly  lit room. She was a mess. There were grass stains all over her clothes. Her sweater and pants  were ripped  , and there were smudges of blood everywhere she could see skin. Her feet  were covered  in green and red, with bruising showing  clearly  her and there. A broken strap of leather dangled off one sandal. Marianne touched her face, finding an array of scratches and several blades of grass. Then she ran her hands through her hair and pulled out a handful of leaves and a few twigs.

“It’s not what it looks like!” Marianne groaned. She began a quick account of dinner and what Bog had done that caused her to look like this.

Sunny and Dawn were in tears and laughing  hysterically  by the time she ended it. “You two are so weird!” Dawn wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, unable to stop giggling.

“You could have stopped at any time, Marianne!” Sunny grinned. “ Maybe  before you tore up your clothes?”

“I’m going to take a shower and change,” Marianne grumbled. Then she smiled and added  sweetly . “Any chance I can get some hot chocolate too?”

-=-=-=-=-

The first thing Bog did when he went home was pick up his phone.  He called the boutique that he had taken Marianne to before and left a message to order a replacement pair of sandals . Bog also requested they pick out a new outfit that would be to Marianne’s tastes.

Then Bog walked into the kitchen and realized he had forgotten to give Marianne the leftovers he had prepared for her to take home  . He  quickly  put them away and grabbed a bottle of root beer.

A few minutes later, Bog was sitting in his den with his laptop searching for red sweaters. Over the past few weeks, he had paid attention to what Marianne wore from day to day. He noticed she didn’t have a lot of variety. Bog was going to help fix that. His wife should have a closet full of nice things.

Bog wasn’t into fashion or buying a lot of expensive clothing. But even he had a closet with a variety of t-shirts, dress shirts, and a couple of costly suits. He might favor going barefoot, but he also had half a dozen pairs of shoes. Marianne should have more.

He began looking at light, flowy clothing that Marianne tended to favor. Nothing that appeared too tight or snug. He chose dark colors. No pastels or anything bright or shiny. He picked out a couple of things for Dawn in the process, guessing her sizes were close to Marianne’s. A few warmer sweaters and tops  were added  along with new jeans and pants that matched.

He went overboard, adding accessories. Scarves, thick and thin, shoes, and a couple of expensive bags  were ordered  .  Where he could, he set deliveries to occur on different days so Marianne wouldn’t get flooded with packages all at once . The first few would arrive on Monday.

By the time he  was done, he had deliveries going to Marianne every day for the next two weeks. He hoped she wouldn’t get mad about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This particular date night was a joy to write. :D And yes, this will be the last time Bog pulls this particular stunt that annoys Marianne to death.


	6. November 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's date night again, this time Marianne's running the show!

November 9

It was still dark when Bog arrived at the farmhouse the caretaker lived in. He had wanted to get out and speak to Amber before Marianne was up. Bog was usually at her house at that time, or she would come to his. He wanted to be back home by then.

The farmhouse belonged to Bog and was massive. The caretaker managed it and the land around it. At the moment, it  was allowed  to grow wild without anything planted. Even the farm animals were being given this year to rest and not have any demands on them. They rotated fields and herds in this way to make them healthier.

Bog parked near a field that was closest to the woods that bordered the farm on three sides. He got out of the car and immediately walked into the field. A moment later, he shifted into the form of a large black wolf. It wasn’t his largest form for a good reason. The trees grew together too close in areas.

It was freeing to be in any of his alternate forms. There was a power and grace in them that Bog could not achieve as a human. He ran and enjoyed the cold dirt and leaves beneath his paws. The crisp breeze ruffled through his thick black fur, and he was able to stretch his legs.

Within minutes he reached a rock wall. Bog followed the wall to a massive gate. It was wood, framed with massive slabs of stone on all sides. There was a door set into the gate that was human-sized. Bog shifted back into his human form, complete with the clothes he had worn before. He pulled the door open and stepped inside, closing it behind him.

Bog  was surrounded by  darkness, but he knew the way. There was a dim light shining off sheer rock walls up ahead. A few minutes later, he entered a massive cavern. A fire was burning in the middle of it. There was an enormous pile of firewood along one wall. Chairs  were stacked  up against a different wall.

A massive pile of colorful blankets and pillows  were stacked  near the fire. That would be where Amber was sleeping. Bog walked toward the pile. “Amber.” He called out. The blankets immediately began shifting. A huge golden furred head with a mix of dragon and wolf features emerged. Amber blinked her blue eyes, yawned, then sat up, placing her forepaws on the pillows in front of her. Her long tail twitched out behind her. “Ye called for me?” Bog held up a hand, palm out to her. Amber stretched out to press her muzzle against Bog’s hand. She purred as Bog ran his fingers down under her chin.

“You have found your love.” Amber’s mouth parted in a toothy draconic smile.

“I have.” Bog nodded.

“I need to meet her.” Amber purred, sliding forward and shoving her head  affectionately  against Bog’s chest.

“Not yet.” Bog stated, running his hands over the sides of Amber’s head. “She is human. Ye will scare her.”

“I am not scary!” Amber recoiled and wrinkled her muzzle.

“To me, yer not.” Bog chuckled. “But to a human yer full of teeth.”

Amber lowered her head again to look at Bog at his own level. “When you are ready, I need to see both of you together. I will create something special for your union. I need you both here to do it.”

“I will talk to her and prepare her.” Bog nodded in agreement. “Be kind, Amber. Humans are not used to seeing creatures like you.”

“She knows you are a Lycean?”

“She does.”

“And she is okay with that?”

“She is.”

“Good.” Amber purred. “That’s all I needed, Bogdan.” She yawned and returned to her nest of pillows and blankets. “I will be waiting.”

“I’ll have food brought up.” Bog stepped away. “I’ll make sure yer well-fed.”

“Thank you.” Amber settled into her nest and yawned again.

*

Bog arrived home an hour later. The sun was up, and he had stopped and picked up a box of fancy donuts to bring with him to the Summers’. He  was stopped  at the door by Marianne. She looked like she had awoke earlier than normal. Her hair was a mess, she hadn’t showered, and she  was dressed  in a baggy gray sweatshirt and pants.

“You don’t want to come in. Dawn is sick and throwing up.” Marianne groaned, running a hand through her hair.

“I’m,” Bog almost threw it out there. He stopped himself from saying he was 100% immune to what was making Dawn ill. “Uh, I brought donuts?” How long were they going to avoid figuring this out? By now, Dawn should have known she was late.

“Thank you, Bog.” Marianne smiled, lifting the lid and looking inside. She closed it and sighed. “I hope I don’t catch what Dawn has.”

Bog was having a difficult time not commenting about how that wasn’t possible. He had to say something. “She’s throwing up in the morning,  maybe  it’s morning sickness?”

“Don’t you even joke about that!” Marianne smirked.

“I’ll go on to my house then. If ye need anything, let me know.” Bog turned and left.

Marianne closed the door and walked to the kitchen to put the donuts on the counter. She took one out of the box and headed to the den. She could hear Sunny talking to Dawn in the bathroom.

The idea was now in Marianne’s head, and she began counting. She made it to the den and stopped in the doorway. She almost choked on the bite of donut she had  just  taken. Arcadian women could only get pregnant once a year. She knew her sister’s cycle. Marianne had not seen any signs that Dawn had ended hers, and that should have been over two weeks ago. Her stomach churned, and she walked back to the kitchen. She tossed the remains of her donut into the box.

Marianne grabbed her keys and purse and headed for the door. “Sunny, Dawn! I’ll be back in a little bit. I’m going to get something for your stomach, Dawn!” Marianne bolted out the door in a panic and headed to her car.

Bog watched from his porch as Marianne’s car sped around the corner. He was glad he wasn’t going to be present for this fallout.

Marianne returned half an hour later with a small paper bag. She was on a mission, and part one of that mission was to get Sunny away from Dawn so she could talk to her. Dawn was still in the bathroom with Sunny hovering around her in concern.

“Sunny.” Marianne knocked on the door. “There are donuts on the counter if you haven’t seen them. I have medicine for Dawn, and I need to talk to her.” She spoke as  sweetly  as she could manage.

“She’s still throwing up.” Sunny opened the door and sighed. “I hope you got something good.”

“We’ll see. Why don’t you take a break, and I’ll tend to her.” Marianne stepped aside to let Sunny leave. He nodded and walked past her, wringing his hands. Marianne joined her sister inside and closed the door behind her. She locked the door. Then she turned to look at her sister.

Dawn was a mess. She was in a  brightly  colored nightshirt and sitting on the edge of the bathtub. Her hair was sticking up in all directions, and she looked a little green around the eyes.

"Dawn.” Marianne hissed, sitting next to her. She took one of her hands and squeezed it. “Do you need to tell me something?”

“Uhm.” Dawn stared at her sister through bleary eyes. “ I feel  awful?”

Marianne sighed. “Dawn.”

“I’m late, and  I think  I’m pregnant.” Dawn sniffled. “It would explain a lot.”

“It would.” Marianne wrapped an arm around Dawn’s shoulders. She handed her the bag. “I’ll get you a cup.”

Ten minutes later, Dawn and Marianne were staring at 5 pregnancy tests. All were showing positive. Sunny paced up and down the hall with no idea what was going on. He wasn’t sure what necessitated his wife  being locked  in the bathroom with Marianne.

“I’m so sorry.” Dawn burst into tears. Marianne sighed and patted her sister on the back.

“It’s not anything to be sorry about, Dawn.” Marianne wanted to yell at her. But after the last few weeks of  being irritated  with Dawn’s bizarre behavior, she felt too guilty to do it. “You’re going to need to tell Sunny.” Marianne grimaced. “I’m going to go shower and go over to Bog’s for the day. You two have a lot of talking to do.”

Dawn smiled  nervously . “Thank you, Marianne.”

Marianne gave her one more hug, then got up and unlocked the door. “Yeah, so Sunny, Dawn has something to tell you, and I’m not going to be here for that.” Marianne rolled her eyes and walked past him. She wanted as far away from the two of them as she could get.

*

Dawn smiled, taking her nervous husband’s hand and leading him to the den. “I’m feeling better now.”

“That’s good.” Sunny was still confused about what was going on. “I  was worried  about you, Dawn.”

I am okay, but I need you to sit down with me.” Dawn sat on the couch and motioned to Sunny to sit next to her. He sat down and immediately leaned over to hug Dawn, pulling her close. She hugged him back and felt now was as good a time as any. “I got a message on my phone that I got a job with Main Interior Decorating as a consultant. I go in on Monday for orientation.”

“That’s good!” Sunny grinned, hugging her  tightly . “You got a job!”

“And I’m pregnant,” Dawn whispered into his ear.

“What?” Sunny pulled back, sliding his hands up to Dawn’s shoulders.

“I’m pregnant,” Dawn repeated with a smile. Sunny stared at her. “I’m pregnant.” She said it again. A weird smile spread over Sunny’s face, and he began shaking.

“Are you sure?” Sunny whispered. A mix of emotions flashed over his face.

“There are 5 positive pregnancy tests in the bathroom.”

“You’re pregnant?” Sunny was still whispering. Dawn nodded. “We’re going to have a baby?” Sunny was  slowly  moving through what this meant. He leaned back with a goofy grin on his face. “  Really  ?” Dawn shifted to sit next to him. Sunny jumped and began panicking, “We are so not prepared for this! How did this happen?! We did everything we  were supposed  to!”

“Sunny.” Dawn snapped at him.

“Oh, no!” Sunny winced. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded!” He grabbed Dawn in a firm embrace. “I love you so much, Dawn! We’re going to be great parents! I’m so afraid of everything right now!”

“We’ll figure it out. And if we don’t, Marianne will help us figure things out.” Dawn smiled,  fully  understanding her husband’s concerns. She had them as well.

“Can not believe them.” Marianne showered  angrily . She dressed with annoyance, grabbing whatever t-shirt was nearby and jeans. The thought occurred to her that Bog had known Dawn was pregnant for weeks. He had been paying specific attention to her every time he came over. How had he known?

Marianne frowned, grabbing her sandals. The ones Bog had bought for her. The ones that were now broken, and she was going to have to throw away. She stared at them for a moment. They had been her favorite comfortable shoes to wear. She dropped them on the floor and opted for her usual pair of sneakers.

This news was going to change things. As much as Marianne loved her sister, the last few weeks had been awful. If that was a preview of things to come, Marianne did not want to be in the same house with her for the next 8 months.

She sat on her unmade bed for a moment, considering her options. It was time to set the wedding date, and the thought made her stomach turn. They were going to do this, and it was going to be soon. With or without her father’s blessing. Marianne sighed. She needed her father to be there. She was going to have to talk to him  privately . She had to convince him that this was real in person.

*

Bog was sitting in the den, watching the morning news when Marianne came over. He immediately got up to greet her. “Good morning, Love. Doing better?” He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. Marianne smiled, sinking into it. Bog made everything better like no one else ever could.

“Okay, how long have you known?” Marianne poked Bog in the ribs. “And how did you know?”

“Couple of weeks.” Bog replied. “It was not my place to tell anyone about something like that. Figured it out that day Dawn came over here to tell me I shouldn’t be telling you I love you.”

Marianne winced. “I was so awful to her.”

“I’m sure ye can think of some way to make it up to her.” Bog stepped back and took Marianne’s hand. He sat down, pulling her with him. She ended up with her back to the arm of the couch and legs across his. She reached up and caressed his face. Bog smiled in response, then they kissed  briefly .

“How did you know?” Marianne inquired  curiously  when they parted.

“Part of my Lycean abilities. I can scan a body for illness or injury.” Bog smiled. “I  was concerned  she was sick when she came over.”

“So, do you have a day in December you like?” Marianne sighed.

“For the wedding?” Marianne felt a tremble go through Bog.

“December 18th!” Bog’s mother poked her head into the den, and  cheerfully  proclaimed.

“Mother!” Bog snapped. “Stop spying on us!” Marianne giggled.

“Monday for health, Tuesday for wealth, Wednesday the best day of all, Thursday for crosses, Friday for losses, and Saturday for no luck at all  .” Zelda walked inside, clasping her hands in front of her. “Old Irish folk saying. The 18th is the Jewish word for life. It is a lucky day to  be married  on, and it so happens it also lands on a Wednesday.”

“Ye’ve put a lot of thought into this.” Bog glared at his mother. Marianne chuckled, running her fingers up the side of Bog’s neck and into his hair.

“December 18th. It’s not too soon, and I can tolerate Dawn for that long. I hope.” Marianne winced.

“Oh so you know about Dawn?” Zelda giggled  happily  . “That means I  officially  know too?”

“Mom’s a midwife on top of everything else.” Bog rumbled. Then he smiled  mischievously  . “  Maybe  we can trade ye for my mom, and she can move into yer house when we’re married.”

“I’m going to go make some special tea for Dawn.” Bog’s mother turned, humming  cheerfully  as she left.

“December 18th?” Bog turned his full attention to Marianne, pulling her closer. “What are we doing about your father?”

“I hope he’ll come around.” Marianne turned her head and leaned toward Bog, so her nose was almost touching his. “I’ll talk to him, but I’m not asking him to pay for anything.”

“That’s fine. I can take care of everything.” Bog gazed into her eyes. “I want ye to go out today and take Dawn with ye. Go look at wedding dresses in the wedding boutique on Main. Go shopping. Buy some nice things to wear, both ye and Dawn. Have lunch.”

“I’ll do that. It still feels weird to not pay for things.”

“Eh, hand them yer card and pretend ye are.” Bog smirked, tilting his head to one side and kissing Marianne on the neck.  She lifted her chin and sighed as Bog  lightly  kissed across her neck, nuzzling her  affectionately . His breath was warm and comforting against her skin as he embraced her. “I love ye, Marianne.” He whispered into her ear, holding her for a moment longer.

“I love you too, Bog.” Marianne smiled, her face flushed and a pleasant warmth settling inside of her. She kissed him on the mouth, then  reluctantly  pulled back. “I’ll see you this evening at my house for dinner.”

*

Marianne figured out why Bog had not volunteered to come with her to take Dawn out shopping. Sunny had insisted on joining them and spent the entire time glued to his wife. Dawn was feeling much better and was more cute than usual with her husband. It was embarrassing and uncomfortable being around them. They  constantly  hugged, cuddled, and kissed everywhere they went.  Marianne could not imagine being that sickening cute with Bog, especially not in public . It was revolting at times. There also seemed to be a double standard when it came to an adorable young couple like Sunny and Dawn. People smiled at them. When it was Bog and Marianne, there weren’t as many smiles, and they didn’t do half of what Sunny and Dawn were doing.

Dawn picked out a cute,  brightly  colored dress from the boutique on Main with a pair of shoes to match. Marianne noticed she didn’t even glance at the price tag. She picked out what she wanted, tried it on, and  was done .

Marianne decided that since Bog owed her a sweater and jeans, she would pick something more suitable for the fall weather . She went with a fall patterned sweater in shades of orange, red, and brown. Then Marianne picked out a long burnt orange cardigan to go over it and cream-colored slacks. On a whim, she grabbed a scarf that looked like it would go well with it. She picked them out, knowing how much Bog liked shades of orange and gold.

“Hey, Marianne! Look at these cute shoes!  I think  they’re you!” Marianne was heading to the register as Dawn called her over. She walked over to where her sister was looking at a display of winter boots. Dawn held the pair she was looking at. They were dark brown leather ankle boots that looked heavy-duty and had a thick two-inch heel on them. They had laces on them and a couple of buckles around the top. They were perfect.

“Help me find my size, and I’ll try them on.” Marianne grinned, setting her items down on a chair.

Their next stop was a bridal shop. Marianne began shaking the moment she stepped through the door. She  was reminded  about the last time she did this. The beautiful wedding dress that had  been bought  for her wedding to Roland had gone up in flames. She had sent the video to him.

Dawn bumped into her and broke her out of it. “Oh, look at this one!” She bounced past Marianne and started touching the lace on a nearby dress. Marianne smiled, looking at the dresses on display nearby. She wouldn’t have Roland dictating what she was wearing this time. It was going to be her choice.

“Can I help you?” The bridal shop owner greeted them.

“Yes.” Marianne smiled. “I’m looking for a wedding dress.”

“When is the wedding?” He smiled  pleasantly .

“December 18th.”

He blinked, and the smile faded. “That’s  just  over a month away. That’s not possible. It takes four to six months to make a wedding dress, Dear. Unless you want something off the rack.”

“I am marrying Bogdan Laird.”

“It will  be done  .” The look on the man’s face turned deadly serious. He stood upright like a bolt of lightning had  just  passed through him. “Whatever you want, let me know.”

“Let’s start with something with color.” Marianne grinned. She could get to like this. Even though it was disturbing to see people react like this to her.

By the time Marianne got home, she  was exhausted  . Dawn and Sunny left her to go relax in the hammock in the backyard. Marianne had a few groceries to unload for dinner. Bog had made an impressive meal for her, but she didn’t feel the need to try to outdo him. Being competitive wouldn’t be preparing a dinner from the heart. She had  just  the thing.

Knowing Bog’s appetite, she had purchased two racks of lamb. She wasn’t doing  multiple  courses; one main course with sides and a dessert. To go with the lamb, she had planned on glazed carrots and risotto. For dessert, she was making apple and pear tarts with persimmons.  Marianne had selected a bottle of semi-sweet Cabernet Sauvignon along with the brand of root beer she usually saw Bog drinking .

Dawn and Sunny would be home, but they were going to keep out of the way. Marianne began some light prep work and thought about what she wanted to do. Turnabout would be fair play for what Bog had done the evening before. Yet she wasn’t in the mood to tease him too much. She had spent a total of ten minutes with Bog today. Marianne  just  wanted to sit next to him and enjoy a movie or do what Dawn and Sunny had been doing the evening before. Hot chocolate in the living room in front of the fireplace. She decided on the latter and washed her hands. She needed a little nap.

*

Roland followed the coordinates of Arawn’s GPS down the residential streets of a small no-name town . He had an address and someone to see. The Hunter turned a corner and checked the GPS. He had the right street. Roland’s eyes settled on the front of the homes he was passing.

There was a very tall man standing on the porch of one of the houses. He looked up, and their eyes met. Roland was lucky that he was going in a straight line and had chosen a car with tinted windows. He was  momentarily  flooded with memories and a sense of hatred directed at that man.

The car kept going, and Bog watched it. He assumed that the driver  was lost  as it continued down the street and vanished around the corner.

Roland stopped the car around the corner to catch his breath and sort through the sudden rush of information . He knew his name was Bogdan Laird. There were other people that were fuzzy around him in Roland’s memories. Those people didn’t matter, because the most important thing to him was the fact that Bogdan was a Rex Regis Lycean. That meant he would fetch a large bounty if he took him out. Or he could do something even better with him if he caught him alive. Roland had a lot of plotting to do.

*

Bog headed to Marianne’s house a few minutes before he  was supposed  to be there. He  was dressed  the same as he had the evening before. Black dress shirt, grey slacks, and his shiny black boots.

Marianne met him at the door in the clothes she had chosen earlier in the day. The fall sweater with the burnt umber long cardigan over cream slacks. Bog smiled, immediately realizing that these were new. They looked good on her. Then he noticed she was barefoot and wasn’t sure what to make of it.

Bog  was dragged  inside the house, and Marianne was kissing him. “That’s for last night.” Marianne pulled back after a moment and grinned at Bog. She reached up and unbuttoned the top two buttons on his shirt.  Bog blinked at her  quizzically  , unsure if his unpredictable fiancee was going to keep going or not and if he should stop her, or not . She stopped at two, and Bog breathed a sigh of relief. He turned and closed the door.

Dinner at Marianne’s was far different from what Bog had done. She had her table set up with candles as well, but everything was ready to begin immediately. She had even prepared their plates. The presentation was beautiful, and Bog’s mouth began watering the moment he saw the pink chops of lamb.

There was a glass of red wine already set out for each of them, along with a bottle of root beer on Bog’s side. They sat across from each other, and Marianne immediately began messing with Bog. Her table was a small round 4 person table. She started talking to Bog like she wasn’t up to anything.

“I made two racks of lamb. One’s a little more done than the other if that one’s too rare.” Marianne smiled  pleasantly , taking a bite of a carrot.

“This is fine, fine.” Bog stammered in surprise as he felt Marianne’s toes brush against his leg. They curled and dragged down his pant leg. He gave her a questioning look. “I like it rare.” He wasn’t sure what to do.

“Good. When we’re done, if you’re okay with it,  I was wondering  if I could tell me about your father.” Marianne’s toes found the hem of Bog’s pants and slid up underneath of it.

“I can, can. It’s n’not a fun conversation.” Bog was having a difficult time keeping his focus on food. Her toes were tiny and warm and  pleasantly  stroking his leg. “I’ll tell ye now.” Bog took a breath as Marianne slipped her foot away.

“We were out of town for a weekend when I was six to celebrate my birthday.” Bog began, thankful for the reprieve. “My father was a good man, but he was a human who didn’t know our secret.” Bog looked  sadly  at Marianne. He had her full attention as she listened. “I wouldn’t want to keep a secret like that from ye. I am so glad ye know. Lycean children begin shifting around the ages of 5 and 6. It’s not easy to control when it starts happening. We were out, and these men in white armor surrounded us. Arcadian Enforcers.” Bog scowled, his blue eyes darkening with sadness. “They were talking to my father and mother, and I began shifting. They saw me. The Enforcers closed in on us, and my father pushed my mom at me and told her to run. She grabbed me, and I didn’t see what happened, but somehow, she got us away from the Enforcers.”

Marianne reached across the table and placed a hand on Bog’s arm. “We hid for several days, and mom tried to find him. There were no crimes reported in that area, no bodies, nothing. We hoped they had left him alone because he was a human, but he never came home. Mom worried they would make him tell them where we lived, and we had to go home and warn the rest of the family.” Bog took a deep breath. “Nothing happened. Mom believes the only reason nobody came is Dad tried to stop them from following us. She said they killed him, then disposed of his body.” Bog swore something about Arcadians, and Marianne felt guilt well up within her. “I still miss him to this day.” Bog mumbled. “36 years and I don’t go a day wishing my father was still with us. He was a good father for the whole 6 years I had him.”

“I’m sorry, Bog.” Marianne wished she hadn’t had to ask him this. “Have you tried to look into it on the internet? What was your father’s name?”

“I haven’t. I never thought to.” Bog shrugged. “His name was Arawn.” He smiled as he said that name. “He had an awesome name, didn’t he?” Then Bog laughed, remembering better memories. “Mom used to call him her Dear Reaper, Dark King, and Sweet Death. My mom is bizarre!”

Marianne laughed  softly  , staring at Bog. Arawn was his father. There was no question about it. Now she had to piece together what had  really  happened. That was going to take a trip to talk to her father. She did not want to speak to Arawn  directly  . From Bog’s version of events, Marianne thought that Arawn had  been caught  with his Lycean family. He had seen Bog shift, and he attempted to stop the Enforcers.  Perhaps  they had wiped his mind of them after he  was captured .

Arawn was  incredibly  crucial to Arcadis.  They would stoop to something like blocking a man’s memories to keep him from straying from their control . He might have even agreed to it to save them. That sounded more like the Arawn she knew.

Bog ate a bite of the lamb, savoring its taste. Marianne had a look on her face like she was somewhere else. “Marianne?” Bog smiled at her. “This is  really  good.”

“Glad you like it.” Marianne shook herself back to where she was. She would look into it later. There was no hurry. She smiled at Bog, and her eye twinkled with hope. This would make it easier for him to see past her Arcadian bloodline. If his father were an Arcadian, that would change how he thought about them.

“Ye asked about my father. Can I ask about yer mother?”  Bog felt it was only fair while they were sharing tragic backstories about their missing parents .

“My mother  was killed by  vampires a decade ago.” Marianne didn’t want to lie to Bog, so she told him the truth while omitting specific details. Like the fact that her mother had been leading a group of missionaries into a remote area. A place where there were rumors of feral Lyceans and a pair of vicious vampires. The missionaries survived. She did not.

“Oh.” Bog couldn’t help but feel her story was far worse than his. “Vampires.” He scowled. “I’m sorry, Marianne. Vampires are the only things in the world worse than Hunters.” Bog glared at the table. “That’s not saying much.” Then he went back to his dinner.

Marianne was silent. Every time Bog mentioned Arcadians and how much they disgusted him, she died a little inside. It hurt. She loved him so much, and she knew he loved her, but what would he do when she finally had to tell him? How angry would he be? Would it be the one thing that would make him walk away from her? It didn’t matter that Bog had explained what a Lycean bond was. She wasn’t sure if it would hold up against Bog’s disdain for Arcadians.

Then Marianne imagined telling him as she looked at his smiling, sweet face across from her. “Bog, I have to tell you something.” That’s  obviously  how she would begin. “I’m an Arcadian.” She would  be ashamed  to tell him that.

Bog dropped his fork and glared at her, those beautiful blue eyes that only held love for her would ice over. “Get out of my house.”

“This is my house.”

“Fine. Then I’m leaving. Do not follow me.” Bog would say  tersely  , shaking with anger as he rose and left the room. He would slam the door as he left, and Marianne would  be left  staring at the table with a broken heart. That was her greatest fear.

She smiled at Bog, feeling the sense of pain lift as she looked into his eyes. If she brought his father back into his life, that would most likely not happen.

The rest of the evening went by  uneventfully  . After their conversation, Marianne didn’t continue messing with Bog under the table. Bog was a tiny bit disappointed that she didn’t.  He drank the wine that Marianne poured for him, commenting that he wasn’t into wine or alcoholic beverages . Their mood lightened, and they ended up on the couch in the living room with hot chocolate. They snuggled up together and discussed their wedding plans.

Bog had several places in mind for them to look at. Bog’s mother would handle the invitations and get them sent out by Friday. She needed a list of people Marianne wanted to invite not to exceed a hundred. Marianne had laughed at the number while panicking inside. She was going to be inviting her entire family and family friends. Every single one of those people were Arcadians. They would not know they were entering a town full of Lyceans and Atlanteans. It would be okay, because Bog’s people would be on their best behavior and be expecting humans. But Marianne was still concerned about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. :D Please leave a comment if you enjoyed it! I love those!


	7. November 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog and Marianne have a lot to do leading up to the wedding along with a meeting with a dragon.   
Arawn figures it out and returns to Blackwood to talk to Marianne, and find his wife and son.  
Roland is being Roland and has set a trap.

**November 11 **

-=-=-=-=-=-

Marianne was up earlier than usual. Bog was going to pick her up for breakfast, and then they were going to go around town to see the best wedding venues and pick one. Bog set up visits to several restaurants, bakeries, and the local distillery. They were going to be busy eating good food throughout the day.

  
But before they left, Marianne called her father. He was an early riser like Bog, so he would be up while Marianne was still a little groggy. Her father answered immediately with a cheerful good morning to his eldest.

  
“Good morning, Dad. We set the wedding date for the 18th.” Marianne got it out immediately and heard her father inhale quickly on the other end of the phone.

  
“That’s soon.” He sounded concerned.

  
“Yeah. It is.” Marianne mumbled, realizing that she couldn’t tell him why. Dawn and Sunny were planning on seeing a doctor and confirming everything before telling anyone else. “I’m going to need addresses for family, Dad, if you don’t mind? Uhm.”

  
“We need to talk, Marianne.”

  
“I know. I know. Would you like me to come by this evening? I have something important I need to ask you about Arawn.”

  
“Arawn? What does he have to do with you getting married?”

  
“I will explain when I see you.” Marianne sighed, then she smiled as the thought entered her head. If her father knew about Arawn being Bog’s father, then he would give his blessing immediately. Marrying someone who was half Arcadian would make it easier for her father to accept their union. Arawn’s connection would fix everything.

  
“This evening will be fine. Is 5 too early?” Lucas offered.

  
“5:30 would be better.” Marianne smiled. 

  
“Okay.” Lucas then added. “Marianne, I only want what is best for you, and I want you to be happy. As long as you tell me the truth, I will give you and Bogdan my blessing to get married. I want to walk you down the aisle on your wedding day. I have looked forward to that day for a long time. I love you, Marianne.”

  
“I love you too, Dad.” Marianne was touched by what he had said and felt better about the whole thing.

  
“Marianne.” Sunny whispered, walking into the living room. 

  
“Why are you whispering?” Marianne shot him a wary look. She was sure that Dawn was still in bed. There hadn’t been any sounds coming from the bathroom that morning. 

  
“We need to talk.” Sunny frowned. “You need to tell Bog about us. Everything. We can’t live here under a lie. Especially not with Dawn being pregnant.”

  
“I know.” Marianne gave him a weak smile. “I am going to tell Bog very soon. I promise.” Her stomach turned and twisted. Even with what she knew, saying it would be awful. “I have some things I need to do first.”

  
A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. “It’s open, Bog.” Marianne called out.

  
“I’m not Bog. I have a delivery for Marianne Summers from Bogdan Laird.” Marianne got up to answer the door and was given a large cardboard box with Boutique on Main printed on it. She pushed the door closed with her foot and carried it over to the coffee table.

  
“They’re up early,” Sunny commented, curious to know what was in the box.

  
Marianne sighed and ran a fingernail under the tape holding the box closed. “Please do not be lingerie. I love you, Bog, but no. Do not do that to me.” There were more boxes inside. Two shoeboxes and several garment boxes. 

  
The first shoebox contained the same style of sandal that she had thrown away. Marianne smiled, removing one and turning it over in her hands. Bog had noticed they were broken and replaced them. She opened the second shoebox to find a pair of light brown leather hiking boots with a fleece lining. They looked comfortable. 

  
Marianne ripped through the other boxes, curious to see what else Bog had bought. She wanted to have them opened, knowing he was going to be showing up at any moment. There was a dark purple sweater with leaves and dragonflies woven into it and a pair of black boot cut jeans. The last garment in the box was a long plaid, purple, and black scarf.

“Sunny, can you take the rest of the boxes into the kitchen.” Marianne gathered the shoeboxes and clothes in her arms. “I’m going to change, so stall Bog until I get back!” She ran up the stairs to her room.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Bog arrived in time to hear someone throwing up inside Marianne’s house. He rolled his eyes and sighed, glad he hadn’t intended on staying for long. Marianne opened the door with a grimace on her face. “Dawn’s up.” She sighed, slipping through the door and right into Bog’s arms. “So, let’s go.”

  
“In a moment.” Bog murmured. “I need ta hold ye and kiss ye.” They spent several minutes kissing before they heard another mood breaking round of Dawn throwing up. “I like yer new clothes. They look good on ye.” Bog complimented Marianne with a smile.

  
“Thank you, Bog. My winter wardrobe is kinda lacking.” She shivered. The weather outside was much chillier on the porch. Bog smiled and offered his arm. He was dressed in a black turtleneck and jeans with a suitable pair of black walking shoes on. A black checkered scarf wrapped around his neck. 

  
“I’ll keep ye warm.” Bog smiled down at Marianne with a mischievous glint in his eyes as he took her arm. He leaned over to kiss her again, immediately sending a pleasant warm feeling through both of them.

  
“It’s hard to walk or drive if you’re kissing me.” Marianne giggled as her breath fogged up the air between them.

  
“Guess we’ll have to turn on the heater then.” Bog sighed, pulling her to his side and heading to his CR-V.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Arawn realized he wasn’t being tailed any longer when he was in the next town. That meant whoever was tailing him, and he already suspected it was Roland, had found what they were looking for. He had not spotted Roland, but two vehicles were switching off following him. One was a sporty grey Mustang. The other was a non-descript black Corolla. There were three drivers between the two cars. They showed up and tailed him for a short time, then backed off. He had managed to identify them as the three Kane brothers. They had been brought in with Roland with wiped memories.

  
The hellhound in Arawn’s backseat told him they planted a tracker on the car shortly before they left and kept him updated. Titania was annoyed with being told she couldn’t be seen. She usually looked like a sweet, friendly blue merle Australian Shepherd with blue eyes. Titania was one of the few types of Familarsis Feralis that held a normal animal form even when looked at by someone who knew what a Familiarsis was.

  
In reality, she was a canine shadow filled with blue fire and smoke that served as a tracker and assistant. Arawn had been fortunate to get her from the Summers as a puppy a couple of decades back. Her ability to completely disappear from view was one the Summers bred for in their Hellhounds. She was always nearby, watching.

  
“I told you I should have remained at Marianne’s house,” Titania grumbled from the backseat. “I smelled something off about that town.”

  
“Ye just wanted ta see Marianne and Dawn again,” Arawn replied. “We’ll be there in a few more hours. I want ye out and looking for any sign of Roland or his friends. Ye can join us when yer done fer belly rubs.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

The morning went by fast. Bog had Marianne on the move the entire time. They didn’t sit down for breakfast, they picked up freshly baked breakfast croissants from one of the little coffee shops along with coffee. From there, they went to the florist. They were presented with an assortment of choices for centerpieces and floral decorations. It didn’t take long to choose a beautiful winter-themed display.

  
Bog and Marianne worked their way down Main street, which had a lot more little shops and restaurants than Marianne remembered. One of the wedding venues was an old church in the middle of the park that marked the center of town. It was a stone building with a solid gothic look to it. It would be big enough for their wedding, and Marianne thought it was perfect. Bog wouldn’t settle on it until she had seen the other available venues.

  
There were two bakeries to visit, three restaurants that did catering, and finally the distillery. Every place they went to was waiting for them with a variety of options and menus. When they got to the distillery, Bog turned to Marianne with a warning. “Sugar is awful. I’m only bringing ye here because she makes amazing drinks.”

  
“You don’t drink.” Marianne stared at Bog. It must be something if Bog liked it.

  
“Moderation.” Bog muttered. “It doesn’t matter that it’s out of my system fast, I can get drunk like anyone else and make stupid decisions. Sugar led to one of them.” He held the door open for Marianne.

  
Marianne wasn’t sure what to expect. She walked into an ordinary tasting room with a bar set up against the wall. The walls were a pleasant shade of orange with black fixtures. The bar itself was wood with a dozen black stools set up around it. There was an assortment of bottles sitting on the bar, along with a dozen wine glasses. A wooden serving tray was set nearby with a loaf of fresh french bread on it. There was soft music playing. A large white cat was sitting on the bar staring at them. 

  
It wasn’t really a cat. Marianne could see it for what it was after a moment. It was the size of a cat, covered in silky white fur. The eyes were massive and set into a smiling face that looked a lot like a possum’s, but broader. Huge ears that resembled a rabbit’s ears stood upright on its head. It had primate-like hands and a long prehensile tail that it was currently using to push napkins off the table. It was an imp.

  
“Do ye see that thing?” Bog asked, leaning over Marianne's shoulder.

  
“Yeah, I can see him for what he is.” Marianne smiled.

  
“That one’s Thor. There’s a black one around here she calls Loki.” Bog walked up to the animal and reached out to scratch it under the chin. It made a delighted chittering noise and leaned against Bog’s hand. “Their names should be reversed. This one’s always up to something.”  
Marianne chuckled, climbing up onto the stool near the glasses. Bog took a seat next to her. Thor bounced off the table and hopped onto Bog’s shoulder.

  
“Thor. Get off.” A very tiny lady with a mass of platinum blonde curls heaped on top of her head came into the room carrying a stool. She could not have been over four and a half feet tall. She was dressed in a plum-colored dress shirt with a black leather vest over it. The logo for Sugar’s Distillery had been branded over the left side of the jacket. She had on jeans over simple black boots.

  
Thor clambered off of Bog and left the room with an annoyed hiss. “This is Sugar.” Bog grumbled, motioning to the woman.

  
“Hello, Dear, you must be Marianne!” Sugar stepped up onto her stool, so she was at eye height with Marianne. “You are just lovely.” Marianne blushed self consciously.

  
“What would you like to begin with?” Sugar picked up a bottle. “I highly recommend our mead.” She began pouring a glass. “It’s perfect for a wedding, and I will be sending you a case for your honeymoon.”

  
Marianne took the glass and swished it around, staring at the beautiful golden liquid. She had never had mead before, and it was delicious. “Oh. Wow.” She looked at Bog, who was glaring at his glass with suspicion. “Bog?”

  
He sighed and lifted the glass to try it. “I don’t know anything about wine.” He tilted it and took a little sip. His face immediately lit up, and he had a second sip. “This is good.”

  
“Oh, you’ve had it before.” Sugar gave him an absolutely wicked smile.

  
“Do not bring it up, Sugar.” Bog growled, setting the glass down harder than he intended. Marianne looked from Sugar to Bog and then back again.

  
“You are such a big baby.” Sugar groaned, picking up a bottle of red wine. “Have a piece of bread to cleanse your palate. This is our Pinot Noir. Another good wedding wine.” Marianne pulled off a small chunk of french bread and watched Bog. He had pushed the glass of mead back to Sugar.

  
“I only need a sip, Sugar. Don’t fill them so full.” Bog glowered at Sugar as he spoke.

  
“Pshh.” Sugar rolled her eyes at Bog, sliding a half-full glass of red wine in front of Marianne. She filled a matching one for Bog.

  
“So wasteful.” Bog grumbled, not taking any bread. He took the glass and sipped the wine. Then he gagged. 

  
“That’s no way to react to good wine, Bog.” Sugar scolded him. 

  
“We can have what Sugar is suggesting? I’m not picky. These are good.” Marianne smiled at Bog.

  
“Try the Sauvignon Blanc.” Sugar was already pouring another glass for Marianne.

  
“Ye really like trying to get people drunk, don’t ye, Sugar?” Bog grumbled, eating a piece of bread. “Can I get some water? Without anything extra in it?”

  
“Sure.” Sugar grinned, stepping off the stool. She walked over to a small cooler and pulled out bottled water for Bog. “Bog has issues with alcohol because someone spiked the punch bowl at a high school dance, then kept giving him cups because he was nervous.”

  
Bog glared at Sugar. “That someone was ye.”

  
Sugar chuckled, getting back up on the stool. “If you would like these, I’ll need to know how many people are attending.” She began corking the bottles. “Why don’t you take these with you? No need for them to go to waste.” 

  
Marianne picked up the glass of mead, intending to finish it. Bog opened the water and began drinking. That was the moment that Sugar chose to make her move.

  
“So Bog got drunk and tried to ask this girl to dance with him that he liked and ended up dumping the whole punch bowl on her when he stumbled into it.”  
Bog choked, and water spewed out of his mouth. Then he began coughing and trying to breathe. Marianne set her glass down and immediately hit him on the back a few times.

  
“And then Bog fell on top of her trying to help her up and ripped her dress, and I THINK he might have even groped her.” Sugar smiled, staring at Bog without any concern for what she was doing to him.

  
Bog’s face was crimson, and he was gasping for air. His eyes were bugging out as he stared at Sugar, fists clenched on the table. Marianne scowled at Sugar and grabbed Bog’s arm. She slid off her stool and pulled him as hard as she could to make his chair turn toward her.

  
“Bog was suspended for a week for drinking at a school function.” Sugar finished, tapping her fingers on the table. “I’ll get a bag for you.” She got up and left giggling.

  
“Bogdan. Bog?” Marianne tried to get his attention, but he had slumped to the side at that point, one arm on the table. He put his forehead on his arm and began swearing at the table as quietly as he could manage. “Bog.” She ran her hand up to his back, pressing her fingers in, looking for some sensitive spot to break him out of it. “That sounded embarrassing,” Marianne whispered as she found a spot that sent a shiver through Bog.

  
“Humiliating.” Bog groaned. Pulling his other arm up to grip the back of his head. He was still staring at the table.

  
“Well, it wasn’t your fault, and wow, how long ago was that?” Marianne was trying her best to calm him down. “Decades?”

  
“Yeah. And I forbade everyone there from ever talking about it again, but obviously.” He sat upright and gestured wildly in the direction that Sugar had gone. “Someone doesn’t listen to me!”

  
Sugar came back in the room in time to hear Bog. She began putting the bottles into wine bags while giving Bog a sneer. “Why should I? You already punished me for it by forcing me to work here and having me under house arrest for the last 26 years. What more are you going to do to me?” Bog stared at Sugar as she slid the bags toward Marianne with a smile. “Enjoy your wine. Make sure he drinks all that mead, and you’ll have a good time with him tonight, I promise.” She winked at Marianne.

  
Marianne blushed, and Bog groaned. He got up and slunk toward the door. His shoulders hunched forward so far that his head was almost at Marianne’s level as she followed him. He held the door open for her, turning to glare at Sugar. “Ye need to stop messing with me, Sugar. Someday I’ll show ye how evil I can be.”

  
“Oh, whatever. You’re not still in that phase, are you? Seriously. If you were really evil, you wouldn’t need to go around TELLING people how evil you are.” Sugar giggled and began cleaning up the bar.

  
Bog growled and joined Marianne outside. He refused to look at her as he walked to the car and opened the door for her. Marianne got in, and Bog gently closed the door, then he stomped around the car, jerked his door open, got inside, and slammed the door. He slammed his hands on the steering wheel and took a deep breath, staring forward.

  
“I am sorry, Marianne.” He glanced at her, speaking softly. His face was still bright red. “I am sorry.”

  
“It’s ok.” Marianne smiled and leaned toward him, reaching out with a hand to touch his chin and get him to turn and face her. He did so reluctantly, unable to meet her eyes. She kissed him briefly and smiled as he raised his head to look at her. “I would never judge you on something like that.”

  
“I judge myself enough. That is why I am not a fan of alcohol in general. I can’t risk stupidity like that.” Bog rumbled.

  
“I love you.” Marianne smiled.

  
“I love ye too.” Bog returned the smile halfheartedly, then kissed her again. It did a lot to shift his mood away from being upset and embarrassed back to warm and happy. “Ok, we’re going to go look at two more venues, and I’m going to show ye the farmhouse my family lived in when there were a lot more of us. We live in town now, only because it’s just my mom and me. Most of my extended family lives in Ireland and Scotland.” Bog started the car.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Sunny and Dawn arrived back at home to find Arawn sitting on their porch with Titania lying at his feet. Dawn bounced up the steps and threw her arms around Arawn. “I didn’t expect to see you back!” She laughed, hugging him tightly.

  
“How long were you waiting?” Sunny joined them a moment later.

  
“An hour or so.” Arawn shrugged, reaching out to hug Dawn back. “How’s my favorite wee lass today? Bright and cheerful as usual, I see?”

  
“Should I tell him?” Dawn giggled at Sunny. Her cheeks were flushed, and she was absolutely glowing.

  
“Only if you think your dad won’t be upset.” Sunny replied with a grin. “We were out for Dawn’s orientation at her new job and to go see a doctor.”

  
“Oh?” Arawn was a little confused about how seeing a doctor would have Dawn so happy. She had always been a happy child, but doctors were never something that put a smile on her face.

  
“I’m pregnant!” Dawn giggled with glee. “Doctor said I’m due on July 7th.” It took a moment for the news to register. The Arawn laughed and rose to give Dawn a better hug.

  
“Congratulations! That’s great news!” Arawn let go of Dawn and held out his hand to Sunny. “Congratulations.” Sunny took his hand, and Arawn pulled him in for a congratulatory hug and pat on the back. 

  
“Thanks, Arawn.” Sunny chuckled nervously. Arawn had always been an intimidating man to be around, even though he had always been friendly to Sunny. If he wasn’t around Marianne or Dawn, he was the type of person that walked around with a permanent scowl on his face, looking at everyone with suspicion.

  
“I came back because I need ta talk ta Marianne. Where is she?” Arawn focused on Sunny. Dawn scratched Titiantia on the chest and belly so vigorously the Hellhound was kicking both back legs in the air with pleasure.

  
“She left this morning with Bog to go into town to make wedding arrangements and look at venues.” Sunny replied quickly. “They won’t be back for hours, and I think Marianne’s going home to talk to her dad.”

  
“I need ta talk ta Marianne,” Arawn repeated with a scowl. “I’ve been trying ta call her, but she isn’t picking up. Do ye have Bog’s number?”

  
“No. We don’t.” Sunny grimaced. “We should get it.”

  
“What are they driving?”

  
“I think it’s Bog’s black CR-V.”

  
“Ok.” Arawn nodded. “Titania, why don’t ye stay here?”

  
“Happily.” She grinned, snuggling up to Dawn.

  
“What’s his last name, Sunny?” Arawn had been given his name by Marianne but wanted to make sure.

  
“Laird. It’s Bogdan Laird.”

  
Arawn left in a hurry and got into his car. He intended to pull up Bog’s license plates to find the number to make it easier to pick his car out from the multitude of other CR-Vs he had seen in town. The Hunter database had access to government databases. Arawn had a tablet with an application that allowed him to retrieve that information.

  
The license plate number was easy to get, then Arawn realized he had no idea what Bogdan Laird looked like. He pulled up his driver’s license and froze. It was like looking into a mirror. Arawn enlarged the image to pick out the features better. He had the same bright blue eyes, sharp, high cheekbones, pointed nose, jawline, and even expression that Arawn often found on his face. The look of someone who was tired and going along with whatever life put in his way.

  
Arawn could feel memories trying to surface, but they would not be opened to him by a photo. Still, he was a step closer. Closer than a step. Arawn read through Bog’s information on file a then clicked on his mother. He got the same feeling looking at her image. Memories. Right there, but inaccessible. She had the red hair, freckles, and brown eyes that Arawn had written down from his dreams.

  
“They’re right here.” Arawn set the tablet aside and got out of his car. He shakily started toward the Laird’s house, breaking into a run as he reached the steps. He hesitated, then pushed the doorbell and waited. Nobody came to the door, and Arawn sighed. He would go on his original plan of finding Bog and Marianne in town.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Bog and Marianne were already out of town by the time Arawn was going down Main looking for them. “You need a charger in your car.” Marianne picked up her phone and saw that she had two missed calls from Arawn, but the battery was weak. The screen went dark.

  
“Or ye could make sure to charge yer phone at night.” Bog smirked.

  
“I need a new phone,” Marianne grumbled.

  
“I’ll get ye one.” Bog offered.

  
“No. Do not do that.” Marianne scowled. “I can get by with this one.”

  
“But what if there’s an emergency and someone needs to reach ye with life-changing news?”

  
“Nobody needs to reach me.” Marianne dropped her phone into the nice deep pocket on the side of her sweater. The pocket reminded her of a question she wanted to ask Bog. “When you change, what happens to the stuff that’s on you? Not just your clothes, but your phone and ring?”

  
“It’s a passive ability. Clothes dissipate and regenerate with practice. T-shirts, jeans, those things are simple and easy to do that with. I would take off an expensive suit or anything I wouldn’t want to ruin.” Bog began explaining. “My phone and ring go into a kind of pocket until I shift back.”

  
“Interesting.” 

  
“It is, but I don’t understand how it works. Most of that knowledge was lost.” Bog glanced at Marianne. “And I’m taking ye to see someone special if ye won’t be afraid of her.”

  
“Her?”

  
“Yes. Ye know what familiarses feralis are. Do ye know where they come from?” Bog kept his eyes on the road. They were nearing the farmhouse.

  
“Yes.” Marianne nodded, her eyes widening. “You, you have one?”

  
“The Arcadians have Arcadis and their great mother. They attacked and destroyed Lycea and killed ours, scattering my people around the world.” Bog began. “Before they did, and I am trusting ye with this, Marianne, my family stole an extraordinary egg. One is laid by the Mother on occasion. It’s a duplicate of herself with all her memories in case something happens to her. It’s a fail-safe to make sure that they are never truly lost.”  
Marianne stared, letting what Bog was saying sink in. She had no idea that this was something that happened. The Arcadis mother had not been awake in her lifetime. She never gave her much thought, because they lived outside of Arcadis. This was a huge secret.

  
“She’s bigger than an elephant and looks like an eastern dragon.” Bog turned onto the road that led to the farmhouse. “Would ye like to meet her? She has requested that both of us go before her. Together.”

  
This was an earnest request. When the Arcadis mother awoke, any Arcadian that had been born while she was asleep would be taken to her to be examined and presented. It was never private. Only the highest-ranking Arcadians met with her in private.

  
“Yes.” Marianne nodded. This would be a great honor.

-=-=-=-=-=-

It took twenty minutes to get to Amber’s cave. The walk was a nice one. It was almost 4 in the afternoon, and there was a cool breeze, but it wasn’t too bad. They strolled was over mostly smooth ground, and they held hands the entire time. They didn’t talk. Instead, they enjoyed the sound of leaves rustling around them.

  
When they reached the cave, Marianne began to get nervous. This was the Lycean mother. It was not the Arcadian one. She began to think she should back out of the presentation for now, but then they stepped into the chamber.

  
Amber was waiting for them. She was lying in front of the fire, watching the entrance of the cave. The golden creature rose and stretched, her long body moving with a primal grace. She yawned and shook her head. “Good afternoon, Bogdan.”

  
“Amber.” Bog kept walking closer, and Marianne went with him, staring at the creature in awe. “This is Marianne.”

  
Amber made a low purring noise, laying down to let them approach. She was careful to keep her head at Marianne’s level so she could see her eye to eye. “Welcome, Marianne. I am glad that Bog finally found you.”

  
They stopped in front of her. Amber’s eyes were fixed on Marianne for the moment. Bog could see little flickers of fear in Marianne’s eyes as she regarded Amber. There was silence.

  
Ten seconds. Bog saw Amber’s eyes narrow, and her neck puffed out in anger. Her lips curled back, and she snapped at Marianne, but Bog had already acted. He grabbed Marianne in his arms and carried her out of Amber’s reach. Marianne had no idea what was going on.

  
“Amber!” Bog yelled, backing toward the entrance. “What is wrong with ye?!”

  
“Leave!” Amber roared. “I do NOT accept her! Get out of my sight!” A loud clap of thunder shook the cave. Every bit of fur on Amber was upraised, and her eyes had gone from blue to white. Electricity arced over her body, and she slammed a forefoot into the ground.

  
Bog scowled. He had not expected Amber to reject Marianne and could not figure out why. He had told her she was a human. She had seemed okay with that. Now, he needed to get Marianne out of here. Bog carried Marianne out of the cave. She didn’t protest until they stepped outside and walked into a heavy rainstorm.

  
“It was clear when we went in!” Marianne lifted a hand to cover her face.

  
“Amber can do this. She can alter the weather over our town. Normally, it’s not like this!” Bog set out in a run for his car, still carrying Marianne. He could make the distance much faster than she could.

  
What had she done? Marianne tucked her head next to Bog’s as water poured over them. She knew the answer to that question. The Lycean Mother had detected she was an Arcadian. She felt awful about it. Maybe if she had told Bog beforehand, this wouldn’t have happened.

  
Lightning flared overhead and crashed nearby. It took bog less than five minutes to reach the car. He was encouraged to move fast by the massive amount of lightning and heavy rain. Bog put Marianne down to open the door for her, then once she was inside, he closed the door and rushed to the driver’s side.

  
Marianne was shaking, and her sweater was soaked with water. Bog sighed and turned the car on. He set the heat on high and pulled off his scarf and sweater. “Marianne, get yer sweater off and get warmed up.” Marianne made a face at him. Bog nodded, seeing that wouldn’t actually help. “Ok.” He pulled the car as close to the house as he could get, then reached into the backseat to retrieve his sweater. “Go up on the porch. There’s power in the house and a dryer in the basement. I’ll be there in a moment.” Bog handed Marianne his sweater.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Marianne shivered uncontrollably as Bog unlocked the door to the house. He had spent several minutes in the rain trying to figure out which rock at the side of the house the spare key was hidden under. Marianne walked into the darkness and the smell of a house that nobody had lived in for years.

  
Bog flipped the lights on. “Ok. Basement is this way. Ye get undressed and put yer clothes in the dryer.” Bog led the way, keeping himself distracted from what he was saying by talking. It also kept him from paying attention to how cold he was. The wind had taken on a fierce chill, and he wasn’t sure if having a wet sweater on would be better or worse than freezing cold skin. “I’m going to turn on the fireplace, get some towels and a blanket so ye can get warm while I wait for the dryer to finish. Shouldn’t take long. It’s one of those industrial ones.”

  
“I’m sorry, Bog.” Marianne whispered, following him to the basement. “About Amber.”

  
“I’m going to have a talk with her later, Marianne.” Bog grumbled. “Don’t worry about it. I do not care what she has to say about us.” He pushed the door open to the utility room and pushed the door open. “I’ll be right back.”

  
Marianne nodded, stepping past Bog. He closed the door behind him, and Marianne sighed. She tossed his sweater into the dryer and began undressing as fast as she could with trembling fingers. Something that should have been special was ruined by her. Marianne knew that Mothers were powerful, but what was going on outside was beyond her. Thunder shook the house, and even in the basement, she could hear the wind howling outside.

  
Bog knocked on the door several minutes later and slipped a couple of towels and a heavy furry blanket to her. They switched places with Bog, completely ignoring her in passing. Marianne wanted to say something but wasn’t sure what would help. She decided they would talk later. Right now, she needed a warm fire.

-=-=-=-=-=-

The farmhouse was massive, with at least three floors. It was clean and dust-free but still had that empty smell to it. She easily found the living room with a lit fireplace. Bog had pulled a loveseat closer to the fire. Marianne settled into it and stared into the warm crackling flames. She could still hear the storm outside.

  
She wasn’t sure how long it took to stop shivering. Part of her wished that Bog had joined her, even though she understood why he didn’t. He was a gentleman. Her eyes traveled around the room. The rest of the furniture was covered with plastic. Then she looked above the fireplace and stared.

  
There was a large portrait of a much younger looking Arawn, Bog’s mother, and a baby she assumed to be Bog. It brought a smile to her face. Arawn would fix everything.

-=-=-=-=-=-

“Marianne.” Bog found her asleep on the couch. He reached out to touch her exposed shoulder. She groggily looked up at him. “Marianne. Clothes are dry. We need to get out, so ye get to yer dad’s on time.” He laid her now dry clothes in front of her and turned. “I think there are raincoats in the hall closet. Call me when yer dressed.”

  
Marianne snapped awake and began dressing. She wasn’t sure what time it was, but she was sure it was later than she wanted it to be. It didn’t take long. She called for Bog, and he immediately came into the room with a raincoat on and offered one to Marianne. Bog turned off the fire while Marianne slipped the raincoat on, then both hurried to the front door.

  
Bog swung the door open and immediately began swearing. A foot of snow covered the porch. Big thick flakes were falling. The thunder had died down, but the wind was still howling overhead. “Careful. I’m sure there’s ice under it.” Bog growled, locking the door. He put the key under a corner of the doormat.

-=-=-=-=-=-

The drive back to town was slower than either of them wanted, but the roads were slick. The snow kept falling. It would have been pretty if they hadn’t known what was causing it. “Ye won’t have time to get yer car. I’ll switch out for one of my other ones and let ye take this one. It’s safer than yers anyway. The weather shouldn’t be as bad the further away ye get.”

  
Marianne nodded and smiled. “You trust me with it?”

  
“Don’t go wild. 4 wheel drive doesn’t mean ye go speeding.” Bog glanced at her and smiled. “I trust ye.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Soon, Marianne was on her way to see her father in the CR-V, and Bog was heading back to the farm in the Challenger. He passed a single car on the road and didn’t notice the vehicle turn around to follow him. 

  
Snow fell gently over the city when Marianne reached her family home. She was a little late, but given the freak snowstorm, that was to be expected. She knew her father would understand.

  
He greeted her at the door with a hug and asked her how her drive was. Marianne happily hugged him back, letting him know that it wasn’t too bad. Then they went into his office to talk.

  
“What is this business with Arawn?” Lucas Summers inquired curiously as he settled into a leather chair in front of his desk. He motioned to his daughter to take the other one.

  
“I’m trying to figure out the best way to ask this.” Marianne ran her fingers anxiously through her hair. “Did he disappear 43 years ago?”

  
“Uh. He did. We don’t talk about that.” Lucas looked uncomfortable.

  
“Why?”

  
“He was gone for seven years, Marianne. When they found him, his memory had been erased of that entire time.”

  
“When did they find him?”

  
“I’ll have to check. I don’t remember the exact day.” Lucas began to get up to go to the computer that was on his desk.

  
“October 23rd.” Marianne smiled at her father. Her father stared at her, then a few minutes later, nodded. 

  
“How did you know? It was 36 years ago. He doesn’t talk about it.” Lucas frowned.

  
“Please don’t say anything until I’m done.” Marianne began telling her father the story Bog had told her of what happened to his dad. Lucas’ eyes grew bigger with each passing minute as he realized where Marianne was going with the story.

  
“Bogdan Laird is Arawn’s son,” Lucas muttered in disbelief when Marianne finished. “The memory wipe was to hide that fact.”

  
“But why would anyone wipe his memory?” Marianne sought her father’s advice now. “Should we tell Arawn? I know I can’t tell Bog if Arawn doesn’t know. It would kill him to know his father is alive and doesn’t know who he is.”

  
“We didn’t wipe his memory, Marianne. There’s no record of anyone doing it, and it would be there. He wasn’t punished or anything like that. We were looking for him because he went missing.” Lucas looked back at his computer screen and the report detailing what happened that day. “And you know how Arcadians are with paperwork. It would be there. Someone else wiped it.” He turned the monitor around to show Marianne the report.

  
“Then I should go to Arawn and tell him he has a son and a wife and where to find them?” Marianne read over the report, skimming for the details. Everything matched what Bog had told her. Arawn was reported as a mystery case along with the group of Enforcers who tracked him down. There was no mention of Bog or his mother. 

  
The thought occurred to Marianne that it was Bog’s mother who had wiped his memory, but that didn’t fit with Bog’s account. She had left with him. Lucas Summers got up and walked back around the desk to sit in his chair.

  
“Bogdan Laird is half Lycean and half Arcadian, and he doesn’t know it.” Lucas smiled and sighed. “That’s really funny.” Marianne looked at her father in bewilderment. “I’m sorry, Marianne. You weren’t supposed to ever find out that your mother was a Lycean as well. You are the same as he is.” Marianne stared in shock. “I’m sorry,” Lucas repeated.

  
“What?” Marianne finally ventured.

  
“Arawn erased that part of you,” Lucas mumbled in shame. “You see, there is a lot of mixed blood in our bloodline. We don’t live in Arcadis for that reason. We don’t present ourselves to the Arcadis mother.”

  
“She didn’t reject me because I’m Arcadian.” Marianne gasped. “She rejected me because I was lying to Bog by not telling him the truth!”  
“Who? Who rejected you?” Lucas scowled in confusion.

  
“The Lycean mother, Amber!” Marianne quickly explained and was gratified by the look of awe on her father’s face.

  
“That’s good news.” Her father smiled, then added. “You need to get home and tell Bog the truth, all of it. Then you need to tell Amber the truth, so she stops this crazy weather.”

  
“I will.” She got up and threw her arms around her father, squeezing him tightly. “I love you, Dad.” Marianne bounced back and froze. “Does this mean we have your blessing?”

  
“It does.” Lucas smiled, then frowned. “Marianne, while I’m telling you things I’ve been keeping from you. You and Dawn have Arcadian and Lycean abilities. Your mother had Arawn seal the Lycean side away while you were children for your safety.”

  
“Wait. Does that mean I can shift??” Marianne looked hopeful.

  
“No.” Lucas shook his head. “You can’t, but the things you inherited from your mother, they should not have come through at all. Arawn suspected it was because there had been so much Lycean blood in our genetics. I certainly don’t have any Lycean abilities.” Lucas glanced out the window at the falling snow.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Bog grumbled as he stormed into Amber’s cave. He would not have done this with Marianne nearby, but by himself, he would fight her if he had to. He hoped he wouldn’t have to. 

  
“Amber!” Bog entered the chamber and kept walking. The massive creature turned to face him, her ears back and muzzle wrinkled in annoyance. Then she lowered her head to his level. She remained in her nest of pillows and blankets.

  
“It’s cold outside.” Amber glanced aside.

  
“No kidding. Ye made it that way! How dare ye try to bite my wife!” Bog shouted.

  
“You haven’t taken her, so she’s not technically your wife yet.” Amber swung her head toward Bog. Her blue eyes narrowed on him. “That is the original way to seal your commitment.”

  
“I love how ye choose to say it that way.” Bog stood inches from Amber’s muzzle. “Take. I will not take what is freely given when the time is right. I’m not ready for that. Now, why did ye reject her?”

  
“Do you honestly want to know?” Amber recoiled and bared her teeth at Bog. “You can end it now and be better for it. She is a liar. Her entire family is full of LIARS. She has been lying to you, which means she does not trust you with the truth. If she were not a liar, I would have no problem with her. With her, you will be amazing.” Amber snapped her jaws shut with a click and looked like she hadn’t meant to say that.

  
“Amber. I want to know what she lied to me about. I want to know now.” Bog stood firm. He could take whatever it was. He would not leave Marianne. He had told her he loved her and would never leave her. He would keep his word.

  
“She’s an Arcadian.” Amber hissed. “She should have told you what she was when you told her you were a Lycean.”

  
Bog’s expression dropped. He had not expected that to be what the problem was. Then a wave of prickly heat passed over him along with every single word he had said freely in front of Marianne concerning how much he hated Arcadians. He had said those words and hadn’t paid attention to her face or how she reacted to them. Bog had missed every clue that was right in front of him.

  
He took a deep breath, trying to push the image of Marianne’s face out of his mind. She had lowered her head every time and looked away from him, and it made him feel awful. “Amber. Ye don’t understand. It’s my fault. I have said some awful things about Arcadians in front of her. I should have figured it out on my own.’

  
Amber puffed up and looked annoyed that Bog wasn’t angry. “She still lied to you.”

  
“And I didn’t come right out and tell her I was a Lycean until I had no choice.” Bog pointed out. “I was willing to keep it a secret from her for the same reason she would keep that from me. I was afraid of scaring her away.”

  
“You’re making excuses for her.” Amber snorted.

  
“If I bring her here and she apologizes to you, will ye reconsider?” Bog held out his hand palm up, making a beckoning motion with his hand.

  
“Her family is full of liars.”

  
“What are they lying about?”

  
Amber lowered her head to allow Bog to rub her chin. “She identifies as an Arcadian. She is half Lycean and does not appear to know it.” Bog was silent, letting the words sink in. Marianne was half Lycean? “She is the start of something new to this world. An entirely new race.”

  
“Amber. You see the world in black and white. Sometimes it is, but in this case, ye need to understand that I love her, and forgiveness is a virtue. Ye judge without any room to understand and forgive.” Bog scowled at her. “Ye know a lot, but ye could stand to spend more time in the real world among actual people. People are idiots. We make mistakes thinking we’re doing the right thing to save someone else’s feelings. There are people in the world who have to lie to save other people’s lives. I don't always know what's right, but I do my best with what I know.”  
Amber snorted in response. 

  
“I’ll be back with Marianne another day. Ye better behave yerself.” Bog glared at her again, tapping his fingers on her nose. “I mean it. I’ll be sending up nothing but old chickens next time ye wake up.”

  
“I hate chickens.” Amber lifted her lips back in disgust. “Too many feathers.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Bog got out his phone to call Marianne the moment he stepped out of Amber’s cave and into the snow. Her phone rang and went to voice mail immediately. Bog grumbled, realizing that it was likely dead. He could leave a message in case she got it on a charger before he got home. He wanted her to know that he knew as soon as possible.

  
“Marianne. I love ye. I love ye so much. Nothing can change that, my love. I am so sorry for what I did to ye every time I said something about Arcadians. Amber told me the truth, and I wish ye had said something to me. I will never leave ye. I love ye.” Bog stopped speaking, catching an overpowering smell that immediately curled his lip. “Marianne. Roland is here. RUN!” 

  
The darts struck Bog in the shoulder and chest. He glanced down at them, bewildered by the fact that he had actually been shot. The effect was immediate and overwhelming. He felt heavy and dropped the phone. Bog plucked one of the darts out and tossed it aside. He began speaking an equation to counter them. Whatever was in them was strong, but he was not going to be taken easily.

  
Bog shifted into his hybrid form, preparing to fight. He glanced around for the people who were stalking him. He bristled and raised his hackles, unsure of where to go. These people were nearby, and he was at a disadvantage. His black fur stood out against the white snow, making him an easy target. He couldn’t go into his smaller wolf form, because he would be slowed down by the snow. In his hybrid form, a blend of man and wolf, he could move faster. The disadvantage was he was even easier to see.

  
With a snarl, Bog chose a direction and plowed through the snow on all fours. He was hit by more darts and still couldn’t see where they were coming from. He had to lead them away from Amber’s cave. That was a priority. They couldn’t find her.

  
One of the brothers grabbed Bog’s phone from the snow in his pursuit. His hunter gear was patterned to camouflage his form against the snow. He didn’t bother with the cave. Their mission was to capture Bog. Nothing else was important. He pocketed the phone and trudged after the fleeing Lycean, lining up another shot.

  
From a safe distance away, Roland had Bog in his crosshairs, and unlike his three friends, he intended to slow this beautiful prize down with a silver-tipped bullet. He had no intention of killing him. This was an attempt to capture a very rare specimen.

  
Roland took the shot.

  
Bog was thrown off his feet as the round caught him in the right side of his chest. He rolled into the snow gasping for air. Everything was on fire, and he knew he was about to die. He could see flecks of his blood on the snow and could feel the sudden warmth flowing over his chest. Bog could not speak to do anything about it.

  
“Get him now!” Roland yelled as the hunters converged on Bog. “Get that bullet out of him. We don’t want him dying.” The trio of brothers reached out to touch Bog, one after the other.

  
Bog’s world plunged into darkness, followed by silence. Then the last hand that laid on him froze him in place. He was dimly aware, slowly fading into a pain-filled sleep. His final thoughts were hopeful that Marianne would get his message and be able to get away before Roland found her. He desperately prayed for her safety as he slipped into darkness.

  
“Keep your hand on him, Coy,” Roland ordered. 

  
“Don’t have to tell me twice!” The green-eyed brother was helping the others roll Bog onto his back. “Got more tranquilizers, Symon?”  
“The bullet needs to come out first, Coy.” The brown-eyed brother grumbled, holding up a syringe. “He can’t heal until it’s out, and if I give him too much, he’ll die.”

  
“Can’t have that. Oran, get the bullet out.” Roland reached out to lift one of Bog’s eyelids. The eye had rolled back into his head, and he could only see white.

  
“Working on it, Boss.” Oran was running his hand over Bog’s chest. The bullet had entered in an angle and traveled all the way down to his waist. Oran hated to imagine what kind of damage something like that did, but he had to remove the bullet. He made a split decision to draw it directly out of his waist. It would tear a lot of muscle, but Bog would heal. This way would get it out faster. Oran spoke an equation to draw the bullet out, and it popped out in a spurt of blood. Oran caught it and held it up. “Got it.”

  
Bog’s body shuddered, and he sighed. Roland smirked, digging into a leather bag he had been carrying. “Let me get to his head.” The three brothers shifted around to let Roland get closer. He fixed a muzzle around Bog’s head, one which had strips of silver over and under the cage that went over Bog’s nose. It didn’t touch him as long as his mouth was closed.

  
Roland handed a set of cuffs to Oran and another to Symon. “Get his wrists and ankles. Then we’ll get him to the car.” Roland stood up with a satisfied smirk. The cuffs were engineered to keep a Lycean under control. Their hands and legs had to be held close together, or a bolt of silver would press against their skin. If he shifted, the cuffs would adjust on their own to keep him contained.

  
Bog had no idea what was happening. He was aware that he didn’t actually die. The bullet was gone, and he was healing, but he still could not see, hear, or move. Then he felt a pinch, and sleepy warmth overtook him.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Marianne shivered without reason. She was almost home and had the oddest feeling. Something was wrong. She couldn’t figure out what it was, but something was not right. She had an increased urgency to get home, plug her phone in, and try to call Bog. 

  
The trip through town took far longer than Marianne wanted it to. The snow had stopped falling, but the roads were awful, and it was dark. There were people out. Marianne saw wolves, pumas, deer, and a variety of other creatures that she knew were not native running in the snow in a confused looking manner. What was going on? They looked like they were trying to find something.

  
When she finally arrived at her house, she was surprised to pull up behind Arawn’s car. The snow was piled upon it, and it appeared he had been there for a while. The lights in Bog’s home were out. The porch light was on because it had a light sensor on it, but there wasn’t another light on in the house. It was disturbing.

-=-=-=-=-=-

“I’m home.” Marianne stepped into the living room to see Arawn sitting on the couch, waiting for her. Sunny and Dawn where nowhere to be seen, but Marianne could hear the tv in the den. 

  
“Do ye not answer yer phone anymore?” Arawn scowled at Marianne. He didn’t get up, but Marianne noticed he was wringing his hands in frustration.

  
“It died.” Marianne held it up. “I’m going to go plug it in.” She walked through the living room and into the kitchen. “Want me to listen to the messages, or do you want to tell me what’s going on?” She plugged it in and held it, waiting for enough charge to turn it on so she could call Bog.

  
“Marianne. Can ye come here for a moment? I have something ta tell ya.” Arawn called from the living room.

  
“I have something important to tell you, too, Arawn.” Marianne sighed and set her phone down. It would take a few minutes.

  
“Ye first.” Arawn motioned for Marianne to sit next to him. She sat down and turned to face him.

  
“I don’t know if you want to know this or not,” Marianne began carefully. “If you don’t want to know who they are, I won’t tell you.”

  
“Bogdan Laird is my son, and his mother is my wife.” Arawn grinned, beating Marianne to the news. Marianne stared at him. “I always knew ye were a clever lass!” Arawn laughed. “Ye should come to work with me in investigations.”

  
“I’m glad you know.” Marianne sighed in relief.

  
“I know, but I can not remember them until I see them and look in their eyes. Neither Bogdan or Zelda have been home all day. I’ve been watching.” Arawn grumbled.

  
“Bog’s mom was spending the day out with friends, but Bog should have been home by now.” Marianne got up again and went back to the kitchen to check her phone. Arawn got up to follow her.

  
“Marianne, I have to tell ye something else.”

  
“One moment.” Marianne’s phone lit up. “I need to call Bog.” She waited a moment and saw a message. “I have a message from him.” She lifted the phone to her ear and listened.

  
Arawn watched with concern as Marianne’s face went from smiling because she was hearing Bog tell her he loved her to a sudden stream of tears. Then she began breathing in panicked gasps. “Marianne?”

  
“Roland. Roland has Bog. I just know it!” Marianne handed her phone to Arawn so he could hear the message. She grabbed a box of tissues off the cabinet and began wiping her eyes, trying to stop the tears.

  
“We don’t know that for sure.” Arawn scowled at the phone, then handed it back to Marianne. “Try to call him.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Roland was sitting in a chair with a smug grin on his face. It was a small concrete room in the basement of a house the Kane brothers used in the city. There was an iron cage taking up half the room. The iron had silver mixed into it to contain what was in it. Right now, Bog occupied the cage, still in his hybrid form. He was asleep in one corner, laying on a cot that was too small for him. It was the only area that kept him from touching any silver.

  
There was a small table against one wall. On it was an electric prod, several bladed weapons, and a long rod with a silver spearhead. Bog’s phone had also been placed on it. It began ringing. Roland picked it up and answered the call, curious to see who was calling for his captive.

  
Bog groggily raised his head and growled. He was still suffering the effects of the tranquilizers. It wasn’t clearing his system as fast with the far worse physical injuries demanding his energy.

  
“Hello?” Roland answered the call. He heard a gasp on the other end.

  
“Roland. You need to let Bog go.”

  
“Who is this?”

  
Arawn grabbed the phone from Marianne’s hands before she could reply. He shook his head at her and took over the call. “Roland. This is Arawn. Ye need to let that Lycean go. Now.”

  
“Oh, hello, Arawn.” Roland chuckled into the phone. “Thank you so much for leading me right to a Rex Regis Lycean!”

  
“Roland. I am warning ye. That particular Lycean is under my jurisdiction, and I do not give ye permission to hold him.” Arawn snarled into the phone. “Do not mess with me, Kid, I will find ye.”

  
“Doubt it.” Roland dropped the phone and brought his heel down on it.

  
Bog closed his eyes and laid his ears back, momentarily trembling. Even in his sleepy state, he had heard that voice clearly, and he couldn’t believe it. He had said his name, and Roland had repeated it. His father was somehow alive, and he was coming for him. This had to be a nightmare. Arawn was alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS was a massive chapter to write! And one of my favorites since it involves Sugar being awful. :D I don't know why, but I like writing her like this. Bitter, mean, holds a grudge. :D
> 
> If you enjoy it, a nice little comment would be great! I do love reading them.


	8. November 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roland being Roland, plays with his new toy in not so nice ways.  
Arawn, Marianne, and her father go on a rescue mission!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this REALLY LONG CHAPTER! It's one of my favorites.

**November 12 **

Zelda prowled around the outskirts of the city in her hybrid form. Being Bog’s mother, she had a stronger connection to him than any other Lycean. Zelda bolted in her son's direction the moment he  was darted the first time. She had been too far away to reach him, and the snow slowed her down, but her senses pointed her in the right direction.

First, she knew she was heading to the farmhouse. Then Bog’s position changed. He had to be in a vehicle, and it was going through town. Bog's direction changed, heading to Rock Castle. Zelda ran for over an hour and lost direction  suddenly . She kept going, following her instincts. Bog was somewhere in the east side of the city.

She had to be careful. She knew there were hunters in the city. She had to keep out of sight and alert. She would find her son and kill anyone who harmed him.

-=-=-=-=- 

Marianne played the message over and over until Arawn took the phone from her. “This isn’t helping. Try ta get some sleep. At least we know Roland doesn’t remember ye.”

“He has Bog.” Marianne sobbed. “And Roland is  just awful! I know what he’s done to Lyceans he’s captured!”

“Try not to think about it.” Arawn wrapped an arm over Marianne’s shoulders. “Bogdan is valuable to Roland. He’s not going ta kill him.”

“No, but he’s going to torture him. We have to do something.” Marianne took a deep breath. “We have to go find him!”

“Sleep.” Arawn dragged his fingers over the side of Marianne’s head, and she slumped against him. “Sorry about that, Marianne, but ye need ta sleep, or ye won’t be any use when I need ya.” He got up and eased Marianne down on the couch. Sunny and Dawn had  been told what was going on and had retreated to their bedroom for the night. Arawn leaned down to kiss Marianne on the forehead. “Sorry, Lass. We’ll get him back. I swear it to ye.”

Arawn turned off the light and walked to the room that had  been prepared for him. He didn’t intend to get any sleep until he had worked out where Roland could be. The city would be the obvious place to look. The Summers had set up a Hunter hub there where Arcadians tended to gather.  The city  was made up of retired hunters, those with families or hunters wanting a safe place to live outside of Arcadis .

Roland was an idiot as far as Arawn  was concerned . All Arawn had to do was research any property Roland had, and any that belonged to his three men. Since he had seen them, he knew they  were involved . Roland wasn’t  nearly as smart as he thought he was.

-=-=-=-=- 

“Why isn’t he up?!” Marianne was down in the kitchen before 7 and annoyed that Arawn was still sleeping.  She was full of anxious energy and had woken up on the couch in the den following a nightmare involving Roland doing awful things to Bog . She wanted to hear his voice, but Arawn had taken her phone with him into his room.

“He was up late last night.” Titania yawned, joining Marianne in the kitchen. She sat at Marianne’s feet. “If you’re making coffee, I would like a cup. Black. No sweetener.”

Marianne sighed and went to her coffee pot. She had to be patient, and patience was not one of her virtues.

Bog awoke to darkness. His body felt awful and stiff as he tried to find a more comfortable position on the cot. With a groan, he shifted from his hybrid form into his more natural human one. His mind was clear, and his body had healed the worst of his injuries. 

Now, Bog was alone with his thoughts. He  was trapped . There was no way out. He attempted to remove the muzzle strapped to his head and managed to get it to slide off.  He triggered the handcuffs several times in the process and  was rewarded with sharp pain and blinding shock as the silver stabbed into both wrists . 

He had shocked himself several times in the night on both his arms and legs while he was trying to sleep and heal. He had figured out how far he could move and  was disheartened by how limited that distance was. Bog played with the cuffs, half shifting to test what they did as his forearms changed size. He figured out there was a delay in their size  adjustment . They  were meant for common Lyceans.

Before he had time to put it to the test, the door opened. Roland stepped inside with a fast food bag in hand. He smiled at Bog. “Good morning.” Bog glared at him.

Roland opened the bag and placed a couple of wrapped sandwiches on the table and a box of hash browns. Bog began salivating immediately. Healing took a lot of energy, and he had not eaten since noon the previous day. Roland sat down, unwrapped one sandwich, and began eating. He leaned back in his chair and propped his legs up on the table.

“So, what’s it like being you right now? Are you hungry? Did you heal? How do you get your clothes to regenerate like that?” Roland took slow bites. Bog growled in response and turned his back to him. “What do you think I’m going to do with you?” Roland picked up one of the small daggers. He turned it in his hand and then put it down, making sure it made a loud clanging sound when he did.

Bog’s stomach began growling, and he smacked his fist into it to make it stop. He would not give Roland the satisfaction of an answer or a reaction. Bog was hungry and thirsty and realizing how spoiled he was. He had  been raised in a safe home, with a comfortable bed, and a refrigerator stocked full of good food. He worked for what he had and lacked nothing he wanted.

Right now. Bog wanted one of those sandwiches and a glass of water. There was no water in his cage. He knew better than to ask. Bog went over the list of things that he had  been taught as a child if he were ever in this kind of situation. Do not talk. Do not make eye contact. Do what your captor tells you to do and keep your mind on one thing and one thing only. Escape the moment you can. Fight if your life is in danger. Escape is your number one mission as a captive.

Roland started on the second sandwich. “When I’m done, you and I are going to have a little lesson in who’s the boss, because I am going to train you to be a hunting dog.” Bog scowled, clenching and unclenching his fists. There was no way out. He didn’t want to try to slip the cuffs until he had time to see how fast they adjusted. He would only have one chance to get free.

Roland finished his breakfast and picked up the electric prod in one hand and the long poker in the other. Bog heard him moving and readied himself. The door to his cage slid open. Part of him urged him to fight now. The smarter part told him there was no shame in allowing it to happen. Let Roland think he had the upper hand until Bog could make his move.

He was not prepared for the pain. 

“Stand up and face me,” Roland commanded. Bog hated to, but he did it without hesitation. Roland lifted the electric prod and jabbed it at Bog’s chest. Bog staggered back with a yelp, falling against the bars at the back of the cage. His wrists and ankles  were jabbed with the silver points so hard that he crashed to the floor in further pain.

“Get up!” Roland poked at Bog with the spear. Bog couldn’t think. Smoke was rising from his body everywhere the silver touched. The rods on the floor were burning into his back. 

Bog got up, doing his best to avoid stepping on the bars that lined the floor of the cage. He kept his eyes off of Roland and tried to think of better things to take him far from here. His father was alive. He was coming for him. Marianne and her sweet kisses. If he could survive this, he would have her for his entire lifetime, not  just the short human years he had thought. Forever! He would have her forever!

Roland hit him with the electric prod again, grinning as he brought the larger man to his knees.

-=-=-=-=- 

Marianne sat down in the living room with her second cup of coffee when the doorbell rang. She set it down and went to see who it was. The mail carrier waved to them from the sidewalk when she opened the door. Marianne looked down to see a box addressed to her from Bog. Marianne stared at the box for a moment. See his name on the label when he wasn’t anywhere nearby brought a fresh round of tears to her eyes.

The box  was brought inside and set on the coffee table. Marianne sat down and retrieved the small dagger she kept on her out from under her pant leg. She slit the tape with care and lifted the cardboard flaps. There was a card on top of a garment box. Marianne sighed and picked up the card, flipping it over. It read: Sorry about the sweater, Love. Marianne sniffled and fought back the desire to cry. 

Marianne glanced around the room and listened. Sunny and Dawn were in the den, and Arawn wasn’t up.  Marianne lifted the first box out and popped it open to reveal a red sweater with gold maple leaves embroidered on the right side . She smiled at it, placed it back in the box, and set it aside.

The next box contained a beautiful gold and cream silk scarf with large maple leaves scattered all over it . Marianne set the box on top of the first and reached in for the last box. It was a shoebox. She lifted the lid and burst into tears. The box contained the exact style of shoe she had bought on Saturday from the boutique. The only difference was that they  were made out of red leather to go with the sweater. She lifted the shoe to her cheek and sobbed  uncontrollably . It seemed like such a silly thing to be emotional about, but he hadn’t  randomly chosen shoes. He chose something he knew she would like.

She made up her mind that as soon as they got Bog home, she was going to wear these for him and never argue with him about buying things for her again . He wasn’t here, and she  was terrified about what could be happening to him. 

-=-=-=-=- 

Dawn stared at Arawn when he finally left his room after noon. “You  really are Bog’s father?”

“I am.” Arawn yawned, helping himself to a glass of milk. He joined Sunny, Dawn, and a very sullen Marianne at the kitchen table. They were finishing lunch. At least Sunny and Dawn were.

“Want a sandwich?” Sunny offered, getting up. Arawn still made him nervous, and he was looking for an excuse to not sit by him.

“Yes.” Arawn nodded. “Whatever ye have is fine. I’m not picky.” 

“Could I get my phone back?” Marianne ventured, still looking at Arawn with an irritated expression.

“Why? So ye can listen ta that message again and make yerself more depressed?” Arawn shook his head no. “I need ya focused, Marianne. I know where he is, and we’re going ta get him tonight.”

The doorbell rang, interrupting the conversation. “I’ll get it!” Dawn bounced up and out of the kitchen.

“I  just want to hear his voice.” Marianne frowned. “I’m afraid of what Roland is doing to him.”

“I know Roland’s type. Young, ego-driven idiots who surround themselves with more capable people.” Arawn scowled.

“Uhm, Marianne.” Dawn poked her head into the living room. “We have company. It’s a bunch of Bog’s friends who are looking for him and his mom.” Marianne sighed and got up.

Brutus, his brothers, Stuff, Thang, and a couple of other Lyceans and Atlanteans were waiting in the living room .  The front door was open, allowing the chilly wind in, and Marianne could see at least another twenty people outside on her porch and in the yard .

“Do you know where Bog is?” Brutus spoke up the moment he saw Marianne.

“I do. We’re going to get him tonight.” Marianne sighed, knowing what was coming next.

“Can we help?” That was Fang, always eager. He stepped ahead of Brutus and looked at Marianne with a look of desperation on his face. “We need to help.”

“I don’t know.” Marianne shook her head. “I don’t have all the details.” Their eyes lifted, and a look of confusion and wariness ran over everyone’s faces. Marianne didn’t have to look back. She knew Arawn stood behind her, and she stepped aside to let him speak.

“If ye want to help, get yer people to stop running around in their fur. Someone is going to see ya.” Arawn glared. 

“Arawn.” Marianne smiled, turning to look at him. “Everyone in this town is a Lycean or an Atlantean.”

“Oh? I’m guessing I knew that at one time.” Arawn scowled, wishing he could remember. The assembled people were still staring at him.

“He’s Bog’s father, Arawn.” Marianne motioned to him. They continued staring in silence.

“Uh. We are handling this situation. If we need anyone, we will get ye.” Arawn waved at the door. “Ye should go fer now.” Everyone turned and began filing out the door in silence. Arawn closed the door and grumbled. He looked out into the yard to see the Lyceans had shifted and sat on the snow-covered lawn. The Atlanteans took up position on the perimeter of the yard.

“Wow.” Marianne stepped up beside Arawn. “They listen to you, but it looks like they’re very literal.” She figured out who was who  easily .  Three massive  grizzly bears sat together with a small  scraggly looking wolf, a stocky jaguar, fitter looking wolves, an eagle, and a stag . “It’s  probably better that they’re here than wandering around like I saw them last night.” Marianne pulled the door closed and looked up into Arawn’s troubled face.

“If I had my memories, I would be far more help, Lass,” Arawn grumbled. “I have a feeling I would know what ta do with them.”

“Can I have my phone?” 

“No.”

-=-=-=-=- 

Bog  was left on his knees with a fun new accessory. An iron collar with silver banding was around his neck. A steel cable connected it to a hook set into the concrete floor near the cage. He was out of the cage, but that was little relief. He  was disoriented and hurt all over. If he moved from where he was, the collar would hit his neck and burn. He was too tired to waste energy, figuring out how to move without it hurting him.

Roland would leave him alone for a time, then come in for ten to fifteen minutes and taunt him. He would drink water in front of him. Delicious food sat on the table, out of reach next to a glass of water. It  was left there, so Bog could smell it.

The instruments that Roland used on him were all silver. Every cut and slice they inflicted took more energy out of Bog than usual to heal, and they hurt.  Roland would spend several intense minutes talking down to Bog and  strategically injuring him with whatever he had in his hands . The sweater Bog had been wearing  was soaked in blood and in tatters. His jeans were in as bad of shape.

Bog had figured out what he was doing. Roland was trying to break him. He  was given time for the wounds to stop bleeding, then Roland would return to add more. Bog was stubborn, and he would continue refusing to speak or shift for his tormentor. He feared what new thing Roland would bring down next.

Roland was an idiot if he continued coming at Bog this way. Bog took every break to do what Marianne had taught him to control any feelings of panic. He could not lose it in front of Roland. Bog had to remain calm and keep his anger under control.  Bog realized the number one reason he shouldn’t speak was that the moment he opened his mouth, he would not be able to resist talking back .  He would swear, and inform Roland he had no chance of getting him under his control without killing him first .

Bog had to remain calm. He had to endure and let Roland think he was getting somewhere. Deep inside, Bog held himself locked down. He went over all the good things in his life. Things that he had taken for granted. There were many, many of those things. His mother. She was annoying, but she loved him so much. His friends. His people. 

Then he would return to Marianne and his future with her. He would see that future. And his father. His father was coming for him? His  supposedly human father?  Bog had so many questions, and he filled his mind with everything that did not involve  being held captive at the hands of a psychopath .

Bog sighed as he heard laughter coming from outside the door. Roland was back.

Roland had a huge smile plastered on his face as he entered the room. He flipped on the light and grabbed his chair. He twirled it around, slammed it in front of Bog with the back facing him. Roland straddled the chair and leaned his arms on the back of it, waving a sheet of paper in front of Bog.

“I figured it out.” Roland chuckled  triumphantly , flipping the paper around to hold it where Bog could see it. “I can’t believe this. It’s an absolute scandal!” Bog stared at the ground. “Look up, Dog. I’m going to tell you what I’m going to do to your father.” Bog’s head snapped up, and he growled at Roland, fighting a surge of anger that broke free.

“Oh. That’s what I thought.” Roland grinned, waving the paper in front of Bog’s face. “Your father is Arawn, the head of Arcadian Special Investigations. That’s why he said you were under his jurisdiction!”

Bog began breathing  heavily , his eyes fixed on the paper. There was a full-color print of a man who looked like him, but much older. Bog found that he couldn’t remember exactly what his father looked like. He thought it was because he had been a child the last time he had seen him. But there was something else going on in his memories. It was like searching for something you knew, and you  just couldn’t reach it.

“Your father,” Roland began with delight at the reaction he was getting. “Hunts and kills Lyceans. Lyceans,  just like you. He’s an Arcadian. He’s been doing this for hundreds of years. What are you to him? Some bastard offspring?”

“Shut up about my father! He was a good man!” Bog couldn’t take it any longer. He lunged forward, grabbing for Roland. The collar burned him, but the rage he had been holding in burst out.

Roland leaned back. He knew exactly how far the cable would reach. Bog’s hands fell short of reaching the chair. “A few months ago, he hunted and killed a rogue Lycean panther. Before that, it was a female wolf. This year alone, he has killed half a dozen Lyceans.  Just . Like. You.”

“You’re lying!” Bog was up, on his feet, ignoring the pain in his neck. He wanted to kill Roland. If he could get his hands on him.

Roland got up and placed the sheet of paper on the table. Bog followed him, snarling. Roland smiled and picked up the electric prod. “Back in the cage, Dog.” He ordered, pointing at the entrance. Bog stood his ground, glaring down at Roland  defiantly . “In the cage!” Roland jabbed at Bog with the electric prod.

Bog jumped back and made his decision. He lifted his hands to the collar and pulled on it as he shifted. Roland stared in astonishment as Bog broke the collar. The cuffs on Bog’s wrists and feet jabbed him but  were forced to grow with him as his more lupine features burst forth. “Ye wanted me to shift for ye, so here it is!” Bog’s form filled the room with darkness, and Roland backed away. 

Then Bog’s form almost seemed to dissipate, snapping down to his smallest form. The massive wolf shifted down into a smaller wolf. He jumped, leaving the cuffs on the floor. The delay allowed them to slip off his paws. Bog snarled and shifted again to his hybrid form. He was going to kill Roland!

Roland dropped the electric prod and vanished in a cloud of black smoke and tiny flashes of light.  Bog slammed his forefeet into the floor where Roland had been standing, digging massive gouges into the concrete with his claws . Then he went for the door. He had to get out!

Roland stared at the door from the other side as Bog rammed into it. He was breathing hard with shock at how close Bog had come to him. That monster was much smarter than he looked. Bog slammed into the door  repeatedly with his shoulder, snarling. He raked his claws over the metal, leaving deep gouges. 

Roland scowled and hit a button next to the door. Then he stood in front of the door and smiled at Bog.

On the other side of the door, Bog snarled back. He wasn’t going to break through that door, and he knew it. There was a whirring sound of a fan coming on. Bog had a suspicion about what that meant, so he did the only logical thing he could think about. He turned to the table where there was a full glass of water and a hamburger.  Bog shoved the cold burger into his mouth without bothering to chew, then shifted back into a human to down the water . He threw the glass at the door where Roland was still watching him.

Bog retrieved the photo of his father that Roland had dropped and walked into the cage. He sat down on the cot, glared at the door for a moment, then he looked at the photo. It was a printout of a screen from the Hunter’s Database. Bog  was disheartened to see that everything Roland had said  was printed right there.

The door to the cage slid shut, and the fans stopped, but Roland did not enter the room. Bog laid on his back, putting his feet on the floor between the bars. He was still a captive, but getting rid of the cuffs and the collar was an improvement. Now Bog had to deal with a churning sensation in his gut brought on by the photo. His father was a hunter. He was coming for him, and now Bog didn’t know if that was good or bad.

-=-=-=-=- 

Arawn stared at the sword that Marianne had on display in her room. “The only weapons I have are plain long swords, Arawn,” Marianne called from her closet. She rummaged around for anything they could use tonight. “A few smaller swords.”

“What about this one?” Arawn removed the sword from the display rack and unsheathed it. He stared down the blade.

“Oh, Bog gave that to me.” Marianne poked her head out of the closet to see what Arawn was talking about.

“Ye realize this is a channel sword, Marianne?” Arawn held it out and sent a spark of electricity through it. The bolt danced over the blade. “A well made one too.”

Marianne stepped out of the closet. “You’re kidding.”

“No. I’m not.” Arawn held the sword up. The tiny bolt of blue electricity arced around the blade, traveling around it.  Arawn reached out and flicked a finger at it, causing it to disperse a charge of static electricity that made Marianne’s hair stick upright .

“Hey!” Marianne reached up to flatten her hair back down and yelped as it shocked her.

“Bring it. Ye may need it.” Arawn put the sword back in its sheath and handed it to Marianne.

“Bog said he has a friend who makes these, but Lyceans don’t have a use for them.” Marianne stared at the sword in awe. 

“No, they do not, but do ye know who forged the best of our weapons?” Arawn smirked. “Lyceans were master forgers, and they took that art with them.”

“What else do I need?”

“ Hopefully , ye won’t even need that.” Arawn scowled. “Titania is going to transport ye inside and help ye find Bog while your dad and I distract Roland and his friends. This sword should help ye get into wherever he’s  being held faster than using your basic abilities.”

“If Bog is in bad shape, I’m not going to be able to carry him by myself. He’s too heavy.” Marianne began going through everything that could go wrong.

“You won’t have to. Once you have found Bog, Titania will be able to teleport the two of you out.” Arawn stated. “She won’t be able to move anyone else. We must do this with as few people as possible. It’s also important that Roland doesn’t see ye.”

“Roland knows who Bog is. He’s going to come after him again.”

“I’m going to take care of Roland. Ye are going to take Bog to yer family home, not his home.” Arawn walked past Marianne. “Our plan is simple. We need to keep it simple. Do yer part, and we’ll do our part.”

“Arawn. Dad told me my mom was a Lycean, and you locked away Lycean abilities I’m not supposed to have.” Marianne called after him. “Can I have them back? They might be useful.”

“Marianne.” Arawn half turned, looking over his shoulder. “They  were sealed for a reason. Now is not the time to explore that side of you. You would  be tempted to use them and could cause more harm to yerself or whomever you used them on than ye intend. When this is over, I will remove the seals.”

Marianne walked out into the hall. “What can I do?”

“Heal and create. It’s the healing that would be the temptation.” Arawn turned and walked away.

-=-=-=-=- 

Sunny and Dawn stared at Arawn and Marianne when they prepared to leave the house later that evening. Both dressed  entirely in black. Arawn geared up in hunter armor, which made him even more intimidating. Marianne didn’t have any armor on. She had on a black jacket, black fleece-lined leggings, and her broken-in pair of hiking boots. She was holding her sword belt and sword, ready to go. Titania sat at the door with a black vest wrapped around her chest and back.

“Good luck.” Dawn hugged Arawn, then Marianne.  She wasn’t her usual bouncy self and shifted from foot to foot, biting her lower lip and fidgeting with the hem of her shirt .

“Yeah. Good luck.” Sunny hung back, not wanting to get anywhere near Arawn.

“We got this.” Marianne gave them an encouraging look.

-=-=-=-=- 

They walked out the door to at least a hundred pairs of eyes in the darkness. There were Lyceans and Atlanteans all over the place, waiting. “Uh.” Marianne glanced up at Arawn, who looked at her with a perplexed look on his face. “They listen to you.” She shrugged. Arawn scowled at Marianne and walked past her.

“We are going ta get Bogdan back now.  Just me and Marianne. We do not need anyone else to  accompany us. Ye would get in the way, and we’re going to a dangerous place for ye.” Arawn shouted to the gathered Lyceans and Atlanteans. A mournful cry rose up from them. “If we run inta any problems, I swear ta ye that we will let ya know, but let us do this.”

Arawn started down the stairs with Marianne close behind and Titania trailing. They left in Bog’s CR-V with Arawn driving. The gathered Lyceans and Atlanteans began dispersing, except for Bog’s closest friends. They remained by the house.

-=-=-=-=- 

Bog faced Roland through the bars. He  was covered in random slashes again, and his blue eyes were blazing with intense anger. Roland chuckled as he looked for an opening where he could shock Bog with the electric prod. Bog was breathing hard from the exertion, having already  been hit by it  multiple times. There wasn’t enough room to get out of its range. He had fallen into the bars  numerous times and had burns all over his body from them. It was either that or get stuck by the electric prod, or a spear or whatever else Roland jabbed at him.

“I should have taken those cuffs off of you earlier. This is far more entertaining.” Roland chuckled as he made contact with Bog’s shoulder. Bog snarled and fell against the bars. The remnants of his sweater caught fire. Bog jerked the tattered garment off. The only reason he had kept it on was it provided some protection from the bars. 

Roland whistled, stepping back to admire his handiwork now that it wasn’t obscured. Bog scowled and backed into the furthest corner from Roland. There were very few areas on Bog’s torso that did not have a bruise, an electrical burn, or a cut. His arms  were covered in them as well. If Bog wasn’t trying to conserve his energy, he would have healed them all immediately.

“I’ve made arrangements to move you to a more secure location tomorrow morning.” Roland grinned, slapping the prod into his palm like a baton. “Once I get you registered in the system, there will be no running for you. Everyone will know who you are, so your best bet to survive will be to do as your told.”

Bog glared at Roland. “That’s fine. I’ll take my chances. Death would be better than being in your hands.”

“How about completely destroying your father?” Roland chuckled. “Imagine what would happen to an Arcadian who has fathered a Rex Regis? He would lose his position. He would be outcast.” Roland ventured down a new avenue, watching Bog’s expression as his words took hold. Even after what Roland had told him to make him angry, it was clear that Bog thought  highly of Arawn. “Arcadis doesn’t tolerate traitors, Bogdan. They might even pass a death sentence on him and all because you won’t yield to me.”

“Is that too high of a price to pay? I’ll even let you keep your name if you agree to serve me.” Roland walked the length of Bog’s cage, dragging the end of the electric prod over the bars. “I will take care of your needs, and I will not continue what we’ve been doing. Your father will not be able to do anything.  Maybe when I grow bored with you, I will give him the opportunity to buy your registration. In a couple hundred years. That’s not long.”

Bog kept his eyes on Roland. He didn’t trust him, but if he agreed, it was likely he would leave the area to show him off. He wouldn’t have a reason to stay here. Bog’s town would be safe and everyone in it, including Marianne. A sharp pain went through Bog’s heart at the thought. He would never see her again, but she would be safe.

“Think it over.” Roland smiled, striking out with the electric prod one last time. It came nowhere near Bog, but he  reflexively jumped back against the cage with a snarl. The moment his back hit the bars, sparks flew, and he bounced forward. He tripped over the bars on the floor and fell across them, getting another shocking jolt. Bog ended up in the middle of the cage in a pained crouch, trying to catch his breath.

Roland shook his head and smiled. “I will also let you out of the cage and fit you with a control band with an injection cartridge. It’s an implant with a remote-controlled device that goes on the back of your neck. If you misbehave, I can pump liquid silver into your spine. I’ve heard it’s excruciating for Lyceans and will drop you in seconds.”

Bog scowled. His last hope was still his father, and he had a limited window.

-=-=-=-=- 

“Go over the plan again, Marianne.” Arawn kept his eyes on the road.

“You’re dropping me off a few blocks away with Titania. She’s going to lead me to the back of the house.” Marianne fiddled with a set of goggles in her hands. “Titania will be invisible. I’m wearing these so I can see her, and if I happen to run into Roland, he will not see my eyes.”

“No talking to him or touching him either,” Arawn added.

“Titania will walk me through the wall, and then we have to find the room they’re keeping Bog in.” Marianne went over the plan. “The room’s walls  are made of iron and silver. Titania can not phase through the wall, so I’m to use my sword and abilities to open the door. We’ll get in, get Bog out into the hall, and then Titania can teleport us both outside. If Bog can walk, we’re to get away from the house as fast as we can. If he can’t, Titania is going to teleport him further away, then come back for me.”

“Good.” Arawn nodded. “Stick to the plan. On paper, we’re going in ta rescue ye. That’s why yer dad is with us. It will explain away the damage as well.”

Marianne nodded and stared out the window. They were in the city now, and in minutes she was going to  be dropped off with Titania.

“Oh yeah,” Arawn took a moment to slide a ring off his finger. He offered it to Marianne. “This will hide ye from any surveillance. Cameras won’t see ye.” Marianne nodded, taking the ring and slipping it on. It was too big, but before she could slide it off, it adjusted to fit her finger. “One more thing, Marianne. Ye remember the Hunter’s Prayer?”

“Uhh, the long one or the short one, because it’s been over a decade since you made me recite it.” Marianne winced in embarrassment.

“Kids today.” Arawn sighed and rolled his eyes. “No respect for our traditions.”

“Well, to be fair, Dad forbade us from becoming Hunters. You do remember you taught me all that stuff  just to make him mad?” Marianne grinned.

“I taught ye all that stuff fer yer protection. Lucas can go jump in a lake fer trying to stop me.” Arawn grunted. “I taught him everything he knows so he could be the best hunter of his generation. Ye could be the best of yers. I told ye, I’d like ye to work with me.”

“And hunt Lyceans like Bog?” Marianne looked away, worrying her lower lip against her teeth.

“No,” Arawn growled, pulling the car off to the side of the road. “That’s not what I do, Marianne.” He turned to look at her with a frown. “Ye know me better than that. Problem Lyceans only, like police take down criminals.”

“You’re the judge, jury, and executioner.” Marianne pointed out, getting ready. 

“We’ll talk about that another time.” Arawn scowled. “Short Hunter’s Prayer, Marianne.”

“Fiat Voluntas Dei.” Marianne nodded, reciting the few words that Arawn was demanding. She opened her door and got out.

“Fiat Voluntas Dei,” Arawn repeated  gravely . “I love ya, Marianne. Stick to the plan. Titania, ye know what ta do.”

“Fiat Voluntas Dei,” Titania barked, jumping into the front seat. She vanished from sight, and the only sign she got out of the car was the sound her nails made hitting the sidewalk.

Marianne slipped the goggles on, and Titania barked once to let her know where she was. Through the goggles, Marianne could see her, only her view was not of a dog, but a creature made of black smoke.  Glittering blue broke through the smoke like cracks, and the form was still canine, but something far nastier . Hellhounds were a fantastic sight to behold in their real forms. They were also terrifying.

“This way.” Titania began walking. There was only a thin layer of snow, and her large pawprints singed into it and melted into the shape of a dog’s paw.

-=-=-=-=- 

Arawn grumbled about kids and tradition and doing his part to see those traditions kept alive . He wondered if he had taught Bog anything along those lines when he was a child.  Seeing the younger generation abandoning tradition had made him swear he would pass it on . But with Bog being a Lycean, he would only have taught him the precepts.  He would also have had to leave out the ones that dictated their whole reason for being was to cleanse the world of Lycean impurities . 

There were others, Arawn realized that he would have had to leave out and it made him feel like a hypocrite. What had he done that he could not remember? What had driven him to even be with a Lycean? What was so special about his wife that he had abandoned his life for 7 years to get married and have a son?

-=-=-=-=- 

Lucas Summers was waiting in his car in front of the Kane’s home. He had been looking over their file. Three brothers who hunted together,  typically with Roland. They were all in their twenties. The two older brothers were twins. Coy had a paralyzing ability, and Symon could rob people of their hearing. The younger brother, Oran, could cause temporary blindness and could see through things. All three of them had enhanced agility. They came from a common family and were nothing special.

Arawn rapped on Lucas’ window and stepped back to allow him to open his door. Lucas nodded to Arawn and stepped out of his SUV. He  was geared up the same way Arawn was, in identical black hunter armor. “Surprised it even fits.” Lucas grunted.

“Yer fault fer getting fat and old,” Arawn smirked.

“How do you keep so thin?” Lucas scowled up at his friend.

“Bad genetics.” Arawn shrugged. “Let’s do this.” 

The pair of them headed up the walkway to the front of the Kane’s house. It was a sizeable ranch-style house, like every other house on the street. It didn’t stand out in any way. Lucas noted that the mustang that had tailed him  was parked in front of the garage. He had the right place. These hunters were idiots. How did they manage to hunt down and kill anything?

Arawn and Lucas stopped at the door. Arawn tapped a plate on his left arm. It lit up with the time and showed a scan of the area in blue pinpoints. “4 inside. 2 in the back. 2 in the front. We’re ready.” Arawn slid his hand over the plate erasing the lights.  He stepped forward and knocked with the back of his armored hand, loud enough anyone inside would hear . “Open up. Arcadian Special Investigations.” There were crashing sounds coming from the other side of the door.

-=-=-=-=- 

Roland had been lounging on the couch in the living room watching a movie when the knocking began. Panic set in immediately. He couldn’t  be seen here! He got up and ran through the house looking for one of the brothers to answer the door. He found Coy and Symon in the den playing video games. They had heard the knocking and were setting the controllers aside. “I’m not here, you got that!” Roland waved them down the hall.

-=-=-=-=- 

Marianne walked through the wall and into a dark bedroom with Titania. “Hold on.” The Hellhound whispered. “We’re dropping ten feet into a hall.”  Marianne thought she  was prepared , but when she sank through the floor, the sensation of falling into nothingness threw her off . She threw her hands out to send a gust of air around her to soften the landing but still landed hard on her butt. Titania chuckled. 

They were in a well-lit hallway with several doors in view. Marianne scrambled to her feet and took a deep breath. She could feel Bog was here, nearby. She took a step forward.

“He’s this way.” Marianne spun around to face one of the sandy blonde Kane brothers. It was Oran, the one with blue eyes. Titania growled, and the Hunter looked  nervously down the hall. “I am not going to stop you. Forgetting you was the best thing that could have happened to Roland. He’s back to being a hunter, and that’s a lot more fun and profitable than hunting you down. Less trouble too.” Oran stepped aside.

Marianne regarded him with caution, drawing his sword. Oran motioned to the door again, remaining completely still. Titania snarled, letting him know where she was. “Go, Marianne. We don’t have a lot of time.” Marianne took a breath and flicked her fingers over the blade. Blue and white fire engulfed the sword.

-=-=-=-=- 

Bog sat on the cot in the dark when the entire room exploded with brilliant light. He looked up to see fire bursting through the door. That was new. Bog stood, eager to see who was on the other end. Within seconds, a huge hole had  been carved into the middle of the door. The metal slab burst inward, and Marianne stepped through the hole. Bog’s heart  momentarily stopped at the sight of her, lit up by the flaming sword. He smiled, forgetting he was in a cage, mesmerized. Marianne had come for him, and wow, she was amazing!

“Marianne!” Bog called out. 

“Get back!” Marianne ran toward the cage, lifting her sword. Bog backed away as far as he could and watched  appreciatively as Marianne made short work of the bars. They crashed to the ground making a racket when they fell. Bog stepped into the opening, careful to avoid the rolling bars. Marianne hesitated, looking at the injuries covering Bog’s body. “We have to leave now!”

Bog nodded, heading to the door.

-=-=-=-=- 

Zelda lifted her head and snarled. She knew where her son was, and everything told her that she needed to get to him. He wasn’t far. She took off in the direction she sensed he was in. She shifted with each step, growing from her hybrid form to the massive wolf one. She  was prepared to fight for her son.

-=-=-=-=- 

“I need to speak to Roland.” Arawn glared at the two young men who were making excuses. “Lucas Summers is looking for his daughter, and we have had reports that Roland has managed to locate her.”

“I need to speak with Roland immediately.” Lucas scowled at them.

“I am not asking  politely again before I enter. Make it easier on him. Right now, we  just want to talk.” Arawn added. “Hesitate, and I will use force. He disobeyed my order and followed me. Ye do realize following an investigator on a case is grounds fer expulsion from yer guild.” The two brothers looked at each other.

-=-=-=-=- 

Bog appeared back outside. Titania could only teleport one at a time. “Wait here.” She ordered, then was gone. Bog did not wait. He could hear Lucas and Arawn talking around the corner, and he couldn’t stop himself. He had to see his father. Marianne appeared with Titania a moment later, in time to see Bog running around the corner of the house.

“Oh, no!” Marianne and Titania immediately ran after him.

-=-=-=-=- 

Arawn was preparing to barge through the door when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head and found himself staring into his son’s eyes. They both froze for a moment as memories immediately began filling in. So many memories. “Bogdan, get out of here!” Arawn shouted at him, gesturing for him to leave. He snapped his attention back to the brothers who were backing into the house now.

Bog took a step back, breathing  heavily as a lot of things  were filled in. Memories which made him  increasingly angry. Then he saw what he needed to see and turned to the house. Roland was still inside. He was going to destroy this house with him in it, so he could never hurt himself or Marianne again. He lifted his hands and began speaking an equation his father had taught him as a child.

“Bog!” Marianne had almost reached him when Titania knocked her down from the back.

“Get back, Marianne!” Titania dragged her backward  swiftly . Marianne grabbed for something to hold onto. Titania had heard these words before. They needed to clear the area. Electricity arced around Bog’s arms as he spoke, something which should not have happened. Marianne stopped fighting and stared as she was drug away.

Arawn glanced back at Bog and saw what was happening. His eyes widened, and he yelled, “Lucas, get away from the house!” Arawn charged at Bog. He had to stop him from finishing the equation! “Bogdan! STOP!”

Bog was focused entirely on what he was doing, enjoying the buildup of energy, and harnessing it. He was on the last word when Arawn slammed a fist into his jaw. Electricity exploded outward, rippling up the side of the house and into the ground. Everything it touched ripped open with a loud crack. The entire side of the house caught on fire. Bog went down, stunned. Arawn grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. “Bogdan!”

Titania let Marianne go. They  were unharmed , but Marianne  was shocked at what she had seen. She pushed herself up to her feet and ran toward them. Zelda beat her to them. She emerged out of the darkness with a snarl, leaping for the hunter holding her son, her mouth open.  Marianne threw her arms up, sending out a powerful gust of wind that slammed into the massive red wolf and sent her rolling into the street . Arawn turned to look and caught Zelda’s eyes as she rolled to her feet and prepared to attack again. The snarl died in her throat as she recognized him. The rest of Arawn’s memories filled in, and he began laughing.

Bog groaned and stirred. “Why did ye hit me?”

“Arawn!” Zelda shifted into her human form and ran to him. 

Lucas followed her, gesturing  wildly . “The plan! Get out of here! There will be time enough for this later!” Lucas yelled at them.

“Right!” Arawn hauled Bog to his feet and pushed him toward the front of the house and his car. Marianne pushed her goggles up. They had fogged up when Bog set off the lightning. 

It was a mistake. Roland had relocated outside the house and perched up in the branches of a nearby tree.  Marianne glanced around as she followed Arawn and her father, and when she did, she made eye contact with Roland . His eyes narrowed on her and Bog as the memories flooded in. They weren’t going to get away with this.

-=-=-=-=- 

“I know I told ye to NEVER use an equation ye have never practiced!” Arawn yelled back at Bog. He was in the driver’s seat, and Zelda was sitting upfront with him. She was hanging off of his arm without a seat belt on.

Bog stared at the front seat in silent awe. Marianne was busy trying to get a seat belt on him. She finally managed and slid into the seat next to him, buckling her own. Arawn was driving a little faster than necessary, overcharged with adrenaline.

“Where have you been?!” Zelda focused on Arawn. Bog walked out on his own two feet and didn't need her.

At the sound of his mother’s voice, Bog  absolutely lost it. He tried to get up. He hadn’t noticed that Marianne had buckled his seatbelt. “Mother!” He struggled for a moment. Marianne put a hand on his arm. “Ye, ye, blocked my memories!” Bog was livid. “Ye took him away from me! How could you do that to me! Why would ye do that? And ye did it over and over and over again!”

“What is he talking about?” Arawn turned to Zelda and glared at her. 

“Lyceans shouldn’t have Arcadian abilities.” Zelda shrugged. “I had to remove them every time he discovered them.” Arawn stared at her. “I told you if anything happened to me that ye were to raise him the same way we were.”

“And I did. But without those things that would have upset everyone in town.” Zelda continued smiling. “I ended up taking him to Amber to seal them from him. There was nobody there to teach him, Arawn.”

Bog was not satisfied with the answer, “Ye had Amber seal away my abilities?! Do ye realize how much it would have helped if I had them? I could have practiced on my own!”

“Please, stop arguing!” Marianne shouted. The car went quiet. She turned to Bog, gripping his arm. “Heal yourself. I don’t want to see you like this.” Bog nodded, mumbling his healing equation and running his hand over his chest. The worst cuts and bruises immediately disappeared. “I am so sorry, Bog. I didn’t want to lie to you! You  just seemed to hate Arcadians so much.”

“They took my father from me, Marianne.” He gestured to the front of the vehicle.

“About that,” Arawn sighed. “That was my fault. They were never there fer ye or yer mom. They were looking fer me.” Then he grinned and laughed again. “I wiped my own memory! I did something that  is considered impossible!”

“You wiped your own memory?” Zelda stared at him in awe. “How did you do that? You would never be able to finish the equation because you would forget it halfway through.”

“I had worked on that problem for years. I wanted to be sure that if I were ever caught, I would never give up what I knew. I figured out that all I had to do was create a force bubble, speak the equation into it, then break it over my head. It was crude and took everything, but it worked.”

“Wow.” Marianne slid her arms around Bog’s arm and hugged him. He smiled down at her, then grinned. His stomach made an annoyed, growling sound.

“Mom. Dad. I’m hungry. Can we pick up a happy meal or ten?”

“No. We don’t eat junk.” Arawn growled back in response. “Cute kid ye have there.” Arawn smiled at Zelda.

“He takes after his father.” She grinned back.

“He wouldn’t give in to us either.” Marianne laughed.

“What do ye mean?” Bog gave her a started look, his eyes widening. “Ye knew my dad?”

“I didn’t know he was your dad until a few days ago.” Marianne looked up at Bog, then snuggled against him, pressing her cheek to his arm. “I had to confirm it with my father before I told you, but then…” She trailed off, squeezing his arm. “I’ll tell you later.”

“This is all well and good.” Titania appeared, sitting next to Bog’s feet. He jumped and fell against Marianne. “But we can’t go to the Summer’s house now. Where are we going?”

“We’re still going to the Summers,” Arawn replied. “ I think after what Bog did, they aren’t going to come after him.”

-=-=-=-=-

Arawn pulled the CR-V in front of the Summers’ mansion. Bog stared through the window at it. He had never seen such a large home. He glanced at Marianne  curiously . She nudged him forward, seeing her father waiting for them on the front steps near the door. “Come on. You can get cleaned up, and I’m sure we can find something to eat.” Marianne grinned.

Bog and Marianne got out, followed by Titania, but Arawn and Zelda remained in the car. 

They drove off.

Bog stared after them, completely baffled. “Where are they - oh.” Bog’s eyes widened. “OH! Wait, that’s MY car!” He turned to Marianne, gesturing  wildly . “No! They are not! Are they?! Oh, crap!” Then he began swearing in a panic. 

“They’re your parents.” Marianne shrugged with a grimace. “And uh. What is it, 36 years?”

Bog’s mouth dropped open in horror. “I’m never getting in that car again.”

“Come on.” Marianne sighed and grabbed Bog’s arm to lead him up the steps.

“Where is Arawn going?” Lucas asked when the pair reached the door.

“36 years,” Marianne replied with a smirk. Bog scowled, his face turning red in embarrassment.

“Oh.” Lucas turned to the door. “Inside. We need to keep Bogdan out of sight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I giggle when I get down to the bottom of this and ten Happy Meals.


	9. November 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog has a little recovery time with Marianne in the Summers' mansion. He has a lot to deal with, including the possibility his mother might be leaving his life.

**November 13**

A hot shower had never felt so good as it did right now. After everything Bog had been through, he enjoyed it. There was also the fact that he stood in a huge rainfall shower with hot water falling all over him in soft waves. The water swirled around his feet with red streaks in it, taking the last 24 hours down the drain.

  
Bog took his time, making sure he healed every injury. He didn’t want to find any reminders of what Roland had done to him. They needed to be wiped away. The pain remained, like a ghostly afterimage. Wounds caused by silver would hurt for days after they were healed. Bog had a high pain tolerance, but every move made his body ache.

  
He dried off with what was probably the plushest towel he had ever used. Bog took a moment to stand in front of the full bathroom mirror, turning around to check for any injuries he might have missed. Satisfied, he stood back to create a simple black t-shirt and jeans over his body.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Bog walked out of the bathroom and directly into Marianne’s arms. She almost knocked him down with her enthusiasm. He staggered back as she buried her head against his chest and gripped him as tightly as she could. “Careful.” He winced. “I’m still sore.” Then he reached down to hug her back with that comforting, familiar embrace, where he could cover her and smell her.

  
“I was so worried about you,” Marianne mumbled into his chest. Bog was silent, running his hands lightly down her back, then back up again as though reassuring himself she was there. Marianne felt him shudder. He pulled her closer and made an awkward, snorting sound.

  
“I thought I was never going to see ye again, Marianne.” He mumbled into her hair. “Never see ye again after those things I said that hurt ye. I never intended to hurt ye.” Bog clung to her, sobbing uncontrollably. “Why didn’t ye just say something? I love ye. Nothing ye could tell me would ever change that.”

  
“Because it would have hurt you.” Marianne couldn’t hold it in, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Maybe it was stupid. I was going to tell you. At some point.”

  
“When?” Bog chuckled suddenly. “Sixty years from now, when we would be sitting on our porch in rocking chairs with me wondering how ye still had the energy of a twenty-year-old in an almost 90-year-old body?” Marianne laughed at the thought.

  
“I know I was being stupid.” She looked up, and Bog immediately lifted a hand to wipe her tears away. “I didn’t want you to look at me differently.”

  
“Never.” Bog slid his hand beneath her chin, leaning in to kiss her. “Ye know that I felt the same way before ye found out what I was.” His bright blue eyes darkened momentarily with sadness. “I would never have wanted ye to carry that feeling for so much longer. Ye accepted me for who I was. Why did ye not think I would do the same?”

  
“Arcadians have always done worse things to Lyceans than Lyceans have done to Arcadians.” Marianne pointed out. Bog kissed her on the forehead.

  
“I don’t think we’re in a competition for whose people have done the worst things.” Bog kissed the bridge of her nose, running his fingers alongside her jaw and into her hair. “We’re not responsible for people who were running things before we were even born.” Bog was back at Marianne’s mouth and interrupted whatever she was going to say, meeting her open mouth with this own. He had been dreaming of getting to do this again.

  
“I don’t want to talk about this again.” Bog grumbled, reluctantly breaking the kiss after a few minutes. His stomach growled, and he sighed, running a hand over it. “I need to eat something. Healing takes a lot of energy, and I’m tired.”

  
“I’m good with that.” Marianne nodded, her head full of giddy lightness. She took Bog’s hand. “This way to the kitchen, then we’re going down to the panic room, and we can get some sleep. My dad and Arawn are working on the situation.” She wanted to continue kissing him, so glad to have him back.

  
“By the way, that was so awesome. The way you came in and rescued me with the sword and all the fire!” Bog walked with her, waving his free hand in the air dramatically. “What else can ye do?”

  
“My abilities are fire, earth, air, water, and shields.” Marianne held up a finger for each one, then her thumb.

  
“Impressive, so yer the Avatar plus ultra.” Bog grinned. “5 is rare.”

  
“It’s been consistent in our family for generations.” Then she laughed. “And my Lycean mom apparently gave me healing and creation too.”

  
“Ah, so ye know about yer mom now?”

  
“My dad told me when I told him about Arawn.” She smiled and stopped walking. Bog looked down at her curiously. She leaned against his arm and looked up. “You and I are the same.”

  
“Amber told me we would be amazing together.” Bog whispered. “She said ye were the start of a new race and now I believe she meant that as in ye and me. Lyceans that can actually fight back. Arcadians with the power to heal and shift.”

  
“That is an incredible responsibility.” The weight of Bog’s words fell heavily on Marianne’s shoulders. “That would change our world.” 

-=-=-=-=-=-

Oran was the only one who got out of the house with his phone. The three brothers were standing across the street from their burning home as the fire department was finishing putting it out. “Look. This is Roland’s fault.” Oran attempted to talk sense to his two older brothers. “That Lycean he had us go after, he is Arawn’s son, and we do not want to mess with him.”

  
“He threatened to have us removed from our guild.” Coy sighed. 

  
“We can’t do anything but hunt!” Symon groaned. “We can’t lose our guild memberships. We lose all of our licenses and access to contracts and bounties!”

  
“Anyone see Roland?” Oran glanced around. “Maybe we could convince Roland to contact Arawn and swear to not say anything about his son?”

  
“He split for obvious reasons.” Coy scowled. “Look. We want to hunt. We don’t want all this drama. It was bad enough that we saw Marianne and got all of our memories back about her and Roland. He wasted a lot of our time trying to hunt her down, and for what?”

  
“A lot of trouble, that’s what.” Oran flipped his phone around in his hands, nervously. “I have an idea. I can call Arawn and tell him that we are going to forget this happened. We are not going anywhere near Bogdan Laird or Marianne Summers. We will turn Roland over to him. I’m sure they would like to wipe his memory again.”

  
“Roland is our friend.” Coy grumbled, not sure he wanted to turn on him.

  
“He’s our boss.” Symon shrugged. “I saw we hand him over.”

  
“I’ll call Arawn. I suspect he will want to deal to keep information about his son from being spread. Right now. It’s only us and Roland who know.” Oran held up his phone. “Well? Let me handle it. I’m the best one for negotiations.”

  
Coy and Symon looked at each other. They were the older brothers, but their younger brother was always the one who got them the best deals and out of the scrapes that Roland often talked them into. “Let him know that if he wipes Roland’s memory, he can hand him over to us. We will make sure he never comes into contact with Marianne or Bogdan again,” Coy stated. “We can do that.” Symon nodded in agreement.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Roland narrowed his eyes at his former allies. He had been standing just out of their view, shielded by darkness and several bushes. He heard everything. They were going to turn him in if they caught him! Well. It looked like he was on his own. He had planning to do. Roland twirled his hair in frustration, then walked off into the night.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Bog carried a large plate of lasagna and breadsticks down into the Summers’ safe room. One of the entrances was downstairs from the kitchen. They passed a large open room that Marianne referred to as the Training Room. He didn’t get a good look at it but did spot a few piles of charred straw dummies against one wall. Bog munched on a breadstick. The lasagna had just come out of something Marianne called the ‘Super Microwave’ and was too hot to try. She promised it would taste like it came out of an oven and not a microwave.

  
The Summers’ safe room was more like a den than a place used for emergencies. It had a heavy steel door with an intricate locking mechanism. Inside, there were several comfortable couches and easy chairs, TVs, a bar, and a wall of monitors. Bog stopped walking the moment he saw his mother and father were waiting for him, along with Lucas Summers.

  
Arawn sat on one of the couches talking on his cellphone. Zelda sat across his lap with her head on his shoulder, gazing at him lovingly. Arawn’s free hand was playing with her hair. But that wasn’t what caused Bog to stop and stare. Arawn looked the same, but Zelda had dropped her age and now looked younger than Bog. She looked younger than Marianne. She had reset her age, and it made Bog worry.

  
“Bog?” Marianne noticed he wasn’t following her and whispered his name. She walked to the couch across from Arawn and Zelda and sat down. Bog sat next to her, holding the plate on his knees and staring at it. He was lost in deep thought. 

  
What did it mean? His mother reset herself. You only did that when you were ready to start a new life. His mother had been there for his entire life. She could be annoying, but she had been the one constant he could always count on. Was she going to leave with Arawn? Were they both going to go and start a new life that didn’t include him?

  
“Good news.” Arawn set his phone aside. “It appears we do not have to worry about the Kanes. They have agreed to assist us in apprehending Roland. Smart kid. Even suggested that we wipe all traces of Bog from his mind. Mentioned making sure Marianne was still wiped out as well. It seems they don’t enjoy that kind of hunting. They’ll keep Roland out of the area, which means that I don’t have to figure out a way to incarcerate the moron.”

  
“We can trust them?” Lucas looked up from his mug of coffee.

  
“I believe we can.” Arawn nodded. “I can hear lies, ye’know.” Arawn turned his attention to Bog. “I’m thinking we can get you two home. I’ll have Titania stay with Marianne for her protection. Bogdan, I am going to be giving you a crash course in your new abilities, so ye can pass Arcadian registration.”

  
“What?” Bog stared at his father like he had just sprouted a second head. 

  
“Citizen registry, fer Arcadians, so ye get all the same protections as we do.” Arawn paused. “So ye can call yerself my son and come work with me and Marianne in Investigations.” He grinned, looking from Marianne to Bog.

  
“I never agreed to that,” Marianne smirked. “I’m a graphic designer. I can barely control my abilities.”

  
“Really, Arawn?” Lucas ran his hand over his face. “Investigations can be dangerous.”

  
“I’m a Lycean.” Bog grumbled.

  
“Nobody expects a Lycean ta have Arcadian abilities and ye had potential from a young age. I want ta properly train ye like ye should have been.” Arawn pinched Zelda on the shoulder. She yelped and then twisted around to begin kissing Arawn. The conversation was replaced by an awkward silence.

  
“Mom. Dad.” Bog reminded them that there were other people in the room beside themselves.

  
“I want ta train both of ye. Ye need ta learn ta control yer abilities.” Arawn smiled. “Yer mom can work with Marianne too. We can work with Dawn too after she has the baby.”

  
“B’baby?” Lucas’ head shot up. “Dawn is pregnant?! Why hasn’t anyone told me?!”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Bog and Marianne ended up sleeping on the couch together. There was just enough room with Bog lying on his side, holding Marianne in his arms. She faced toward him with her head against his chest. Despite people coming in and out of the room for most of the night, they slept soundly. At one point, early in the morning, Bog woke to see his mother running through the room, giggling with his father right behind her. They vanished into the adjoining room, and Bog grumbled, pulling a cushion over his head so he couldn’t hear what was going on.

  
After the ordeal of the last day, Bog just wanted to keep holding onto Marianne and enjoy her warm body against his. His mind had other ideas. The recovered memories had flashed by, far too many to see any in great detail. The more important ones were the ones that stood out. Now, he was dreaming about a time when he was barely able to walk. Lyceans had the best memory recall of all the races, and everything was in great detail.

  
They were in the farmhouse, and Bog had been doing what many Lycean children do at that age, creating random things to chew on and roll across the floor. It was the first ability that both Atlanteans and Lyceans developed. The items were harmless. They were always too big and squishy to be swallowed or hurt anyone. He dreamed he was creating balls. Creating simple shapes didn’t require alchemic equations. Equations enhanced and focused their abilities. A slightly younger-looking Arawn was sitting in front of him, urging him on to make them rounder. The smile on his father’s face had encouraged him, and he kept at it.

  
Every time he created a better ball, Arawn rewarded him with a piece of banana. Arawn was absolutely fascinated by what he was doing. Even in his dream, Bog could feel just how proud and involved his father was. But then, Bog had done something unexpected. He was holding a piece of banana and dropped it. He grabbed for it, and a transparent sphere popped between his hands, catching the snack before it hit the floor.

  
The look on Arawn’s face had been one of absolute shock and bewilderment. “That’s not possible,” Arawn whispered. He held out a piece of banana. “Trade?” Bog hand happily handed the ball over for something he could eat. Arawn turned the orb over in his hands, staring at it with wide eyes. Then he held it up in front of Bog. “Again.”

  
Bog remembered trying and creating another ordinary solid ball. Then Arawn held up his hand and created an exact copy of the ball Bog had formed around the banana. “Like this.” Bog tried again and was beginning to get frustrated with the attempt as another solid ball materialized in his hands. Arawn smiled and handed him a treat anyway. Then he held out a second one and dropped it between his child’s outstretched hands. A clear sphere appeared around it, just like the first one. Arawn laughed, slapping his hands on his knees.

  
“Zelda! Ye need to come in here and see this!” Arawn excitedly called for his wife, and a moment later, she appeared in the door. She wore a flowery apron and Bog could smell chocolate chip cookies all around her.

  
“Wow, those are good balls.” Zelda came and sat on the floor next to Arawn, smiling at her boy. Arawn held up the two transparent balls, and Zelda’s eyes popped open. Bog remembered the sense that he thought he had done something wrong. The look on her face was not proud or happy. It was one of fear.

  
“Ye don’t create shields. Does someone in yer family?” Arawn questioned Zelda.

  
“No. And Lyceans don’t create that type of shield. We create walls and Veils. We can’t do that.” Zelda stared at Bog.

  
“He has my ability.” Arawn looked at Bog proudly, reassuring him. “A Lycean with an Arcadian ability.” Arawn reached out and ruffled his hair. “Aren’t ye a special boy. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of such a thing.”

  
“Probably for a good reason.” His mother frowned and looked at her husband in concern. “Wouldn’t that make him dangerous? Parents would hide this kind of thing. There can’t be that many families that allow bloodlines to cross.”

  
“I can’t wait to see what else he can do!” Arawn picked his son up and hugged him. Then he turned to his wife with a huge grin, “When can we have more?!”

  
“Concentrate on this one first.” Zelda got back to her feet, chuckling nervously. She hurried away.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Bog’s dream shifted, recalling something else. Laying awake as an older child, listening to his parents having a severe fight in another room. It was about him. “Ye can’t just not teach a boy how to use the things he’s born with and ignore them, Zelda. It’s his right to use everything he has. This is a rough world. Ye and I both know it. Every ability he has will help him.”

  
“If he turns out to be able to shift, he is a Lycean, Arawn. He has to follow that side of him. My family and our people will be terrified of him if he displays Arcadian abilities! Nobody knows you’re Arcadian! Nobody can know that!” Zelda’s voice rang out angry and full of frustration.

  
“Then we need to change that. He’s just a boy.” Then his father’s voice had dropped off, but he heard the next words clearly. They were pained with a sudden realization. “Is, is this why ye keep yerself away when it’s your time of the year? Ye don’t want to have any more children with me? Because they might be like Bogdan?” The conversation was followed by silence, and then he heard his father walking down the hall.

  
He was sobbing loudly as though his heart had been broken. Arawn stopped, noticing the door to Bog’s room was open. He stepped inside, sat down on Bog’s bed, and reached out to lay a hand on Bog’s side. Bog pretended to be asleep, but his father’s sadness was easy for him to feel. “I love ye, Bogdan. Yer mom loves ye too.”

  
The words faded into an echo, and Bog’s dreaming suddenly changed. He was back in the cage, laying there in the darkness in pain. He was dreading Roland returning and momentarily, that’s where Bog believed he was. He pulled his arms tightly to his chest and was suddenly jarred awake by Marianne squirming in his grasp.

  
“Bog?” She pushed her hands into his chest. “You’re squishing me.”

  
“Oh. Sorry.” Bog immediately loosened his grip and found himself staring into her eyes. Her beautiful concern filled brown eyes. Her words from hours earlier filled his thoughts along with the dreams. ‘That’s an incredible responsibility.’ This was why he didn’t have any siblings. When he was younger, he had wondered why he was an only child. He had met much older siblings who shared a father, but not his. Two years separated them in each case. 

  
Two years was his mother’s pattern. She had even commented on it before. Two years to enjoy your spouse before the first child. Two years for the next. Two years for the next. Only as far as he knew, there never was a third child. Rarely were there two. Her husbands were often killed young, except for Arawn. He had been with her for seven years and he knew he was born shortly after their first year together. She had been in a hurry to make sure she had a child with him but then didn’t have anymore.

  
It was his fault.

  
“Bog?” Marianne was beginning to get worried. He had been looking into his eyes, but he was somewhere else.

  
“Good morning, Marianne.” Bog blinked and smiled at her, giving her a gentle hug. “I love ye.”

  
“I love you too.” She hugged him back and snuggled up against his chest. Bog sighed contentedly, but the thought was still going through his head. He should not have said what Amber told him. It would be a massive responsibility, and he understood where his mother’s reactions. Bog also understood how much it hurt his father as a stabbing pain struck him in the gut and heart. Marianne might not want to ever have kids because of what he had said to her. He thought it was awesome. She had looked worried. The same look he had seen on his mother’s face when he was a child.

-=-=-=-=-=-

They had breakfast, then left the Summers house. Bog and Marianne rode with Lucas. Bog had scowled when Arawn and his mother got into his CR-V and seemed to expect him to join them. He said nothing to them, just gave them dirty looks, and got into the Summers SUV. Marianne shrugged at Bog’s parents and followed him.

  
Lucas was happy to have them riding with him. “How long have you known Dawn is pregnant?”

  
“Saturday.” Marianne sighed. “They went in on Monday to confirm it, and then this all happened.”

  
“I see.”

  
“Bog has known for weeks.” Marianne smiled. “I’m learning a lot about Lyceans.”

  
“It was not my place to tell anyone.” Bog mumbled.

  
“I can’t believe Arawn is your father, Bogdan.” Lucas smiled. “Arawn has helped raise three generations of Summers. I’ve always thought he would be a great father to a child of his own.”

  
Bog was silent, unable to say anything to that. Arawn had been there for children who were not his own. Bog had been robbed of an entire childhood with him. He had him now, but there were so many times when he was a child and a teenager, when he needed a father and didn’t have one. Did his father know that he still needed him in his life? He still needed his mother too. Now that they had each other, were they just going to leave?

  
“Thank ye for coming for me.” Bog attempted to change the subject. “I don’t think I said thank ye.”

  
“I can’t let anything happen to my future son-in-law.” Lucas grinned. “Marianne would kill me.”

Bog smiled at that, glancing at Marianne. She was watching him with a smile on her face as well.

  
“Out of curiosity, where are you planning to live after the wedding?”

  
“My house, but I don’t know what my mom and dad are planning.” Bog glanced at Marianne. 

  
“Where are you taking your honeymoon?”

  
Both Marianne and Bog turned to each other and simultaneously said, “We never talked about a honeymoon!”

  
“We were just focused on the wedding.” Marianne groaned.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Dawn was overjoyed to see her father. She squealed and threw her arms around him, immediately announcing that she was pregnant. Lucas decided not to let her know that Arawn had let it slip. Marianne ran past them to go upstairs to shower and get into clean clothes. Bog went to his house and was surprised to see his friends had stayed the entire time he had been gone. He thanked them and told them to go home. He would have a party to thank them later.

  
Bog sat in the living room and waited for his parents. He heard his CR-V pull-up, then the sound of his mother laughing. She hit the front door and threw it open, racing inside and right past Bog. Arawn was behind her, with his shirt halfway off and an absolutely predatory look on his face. “Bogdan. Give me ten minutes.” He ran past him in pursuit of his wife. “Maybe twenty! Have to catch her first!”

  
“Seriously?” Bog groaned and sank further into the couch.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Marianne hummed as she got dressed, doing precisely what she had planned to do when Bog came home. She put on the red sweater Bog had sent her, black jeans, then the red ankle boots. They were stiff, but that would work itself out throughout the day. The matching fall scarf was wrapped around her neck loosely. Then Marianne checked herself in the mirror. She took a moment to attempt to tame her hair down into something that looked like she at least tried. The purple and rose gold highlights still looked beautiful, and she had grown used to them.

  
“Marianne.” There was a gentle knock on her door. It was her father.

  
“Come in.” Marianne smiled as he walked inside. “That’s a nice outfit.” He complimented her.

  
“Bog bought it for me.” She grinned and sat on the foot of her bed. She wasn’t about to explain why.

  
“He has good taste. It looks good on you.” Lucas sat next to his daughter and held out his hand. “I’m proud of the way you’ve handled yourself, Marianne.” Marianne blushed, placing her hand in her father’s. He put his other hand on top of it and squeezed gently. “I love you and your sister so much, and I think you should all consider moving back into the house until we get the Roland situation taken care of. Bogdan and his mother too. I haven’t mentioned this to Arawn. I want you safe.”

  
“That’s not realistic, Dad.” Marianne sighed. Her father meant well. She took a deep breath and began to explain why Bogdan shouldn’t leave. “This entire town is full of Lyceans and Atlanteans, Father. Bog is pretty much their King.”

  
Lucas Summers stared at his daughter. “The entire town?”

  
“The entire town,” Marianne repeated. “We’re as safe here as anywhere. Sunny and Dawn are taking my house. Bog’s giving it to them. It’ll be a great place for them to raise their baby. It’ll be safe.”

  
“You’ll be comfortable raising a family here as well?” Lucas looked a little concerned. “You’ll run into the same dilemma your mother, and I ran into. We had to take away your abilities, which included taking away memories you built with your mother. Considering that you and Bogdan both have Arcadian and Lycean abilities, there’s a good chance your children will take after both of you. That’s how it works, Marianne. Two strong bloodlines will more often than not produce even stronger children.”

  
Marianne took a deep breath. She had been thinking about this very thing when Bog mentioned what Amber had said about them. “Arawn is going to unseal my Lycean abilities, Dad. How will that be different from having children who know what they can do and are trained through their entire lives on how to use them?”

  
“Marianne.” Lucas frowned. “You do not know what it feels like to actually have a child with abilities they should not have and worry that they might slip up and someone would find out. At least if you had been pure Lycean or Arcadian, that possibility would never be there.”

  
“Dad. They will be safe here.” Marianne gave her father a stubborn look. “Bogdan is a King.”

  
“And he didn’t know he was half Arcadian for some reason. I suspect he also did not have that electrical power before he saw Arawn. His memories were sealed just like yours were.” Lucas pointed out. Then he sighed and gave Marianne a guilty look. “There’s one more thing you need to know, Marianne. It was your mother who suggested that Arawn seal your Lycean side. When Dawn began showing the ability to create like a lycean and manipulate air and water like an Arcadian, she asked Arawn to do it.”

  
“She did?” Marianne looked hurt. 

  
“Marianne. This was when Dawn was 2. You were 8.” Lucas looked into his daughter’s eyes, waiting for her to figure it out on her own.

  
“That was when Mom left on the extended hunter missions and never came home.” Marianne’s lower lip quivered and tears began welling up in her eyes as she realized why. “Because she couldn’t be around us physically after the seals were placed or they would be broken. She wrote to us, and we talked on the phone.”

  
“Your mother made a sacrifice that hurt her so that you could live a normal life as an Arcadian, not an Arcadian with Lycean abilities.” Lucas gently wiped away Marianne’s tears.

“That is what I want you to understand, Marianne. You need to discuss this with Bogdan.” She could never come home, Marianne. Then we lost her entirely.” Marianne nodded and leaned against her father, glad he was there for her even if she didn’t like what he was telling her.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Bog sulked on the couch. It had been half an hour, and he did not want to go looking for his parents. They were somewhere in the house doing who knows what, but at least they were doing it quietly.

  
Arawn walked into the living room a few minutes later. He had a very pleased crooked smile on his face. Thankfully, he was also fully dressed. “Bogdan. Please stand up. I haven’t greeted ye properly.”

  
Bog bit back the first thought that came to mind, not really wanting to know how many times he had ‘greeted’ his mother in the last 12 hours. Instead, he warily stood and regarded his father. He was much shorter than Bog remembered.

  
“Yer much taller than I remember.” Arawn laughed, placing his hands on Bog’s shoulders and patting him. Bog smiled. “I missed seeing ye grow up, but I’m going to make up fer it. I want to be a part of yer life if ye’ll let me.”

  
“Yer not going to leave with Mom?” Bog couldn’t hide his relief.

  
“Zelda has no desire to leave, and why would I want to be anywhere else?” Arawn replied, then he sighed, “However, this time, I’m not going to vanish from my work. I’m going to make arrangements to only take on special cases. I was serious when I said I want ye to work with me, Bogdan. Both ye and Marianne.”

  
“I don’t know how good I would be at what ye do.” Bog held his right hand up, letting bits of flashing blue light dance over his fingers. “This is new to me.”

  
“I will train ye.” Arawn grinned. “I have to train ye anyway. I can’t leave ye to learn on yer own. Ye might blow up yer house and my darlin’ Marianne with it.”

  
“Ye really helped raise Marianne?” Bog stared at his father, curiously.

  
“Aye. Bet there aren’t many fathers who’ve changed both their son and daughter-in-law’s diapers…. And her father…. And his father. I’ve changed an annoying amount of diapers.” Arawn made a face at the thought. “I am not changing yer kids diapers. Done my time.” Arawn realized he was rambling and stopped, staring up at Bog. Then he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around his son in a tight hug. “I didn’t want ta leave ya, Bogden. I never wanted ye to only have only one parent growing up, but I wanted ye to grow up. That’s why I did what I did.”

  
“I missed ye, Dad. I missed ye every day.” Bog hugged him back. He had never even dreamed this moment would be possible. “I’m glad to hear yer going to stay. Yer going to be my Best Man, right?”

  
“If yer inviting me to, then yes.” Arawn leaned back and grinned happily. “When is the wedding?”

  
“December 18th.” Bog took a deep breath.

  
“Surprised ye’d wait that long.” Arawn stepped back and sat down in one of the recliners across from the couch. “Considerin’, who raised ya. That woman has no patience.”

  
“She’s been after Marianne and me to go out into the woods and get started on kids.” Bog rolled his eyes and settled on the couch.

  
Arawn looked startled. “I guess she did raise ye the way I asked her to. Ye’know we uhm, had arguments over how to raise ye.”

  
“I remember.” Bog sighed, then scowled, “And I’m still mad at mom for that.”

  
“She wanted to keep ye safe,” Arawn stated. “That was all. She was afraid of raising a son, who was different.”

  
“And I’m why I don’t have any siblings.” Bog grumbled.

  
“Ye, ye remember that?” Arawn sat upright, glancing to the door that led to the kitchen. “Bogdan. Don’t blame yerself fer that.”

  
“But it’s true. And I’m mad at mom for that too.” Bog scowled, “And all the other things she did to ‘protect’ me.”

  
“Bogdan.” Arawn began stubbornly. “Ye won’t understand these things until yer married and a parent. Don’t hold this against yer mom. She loves ye. She wanted ye to have the safe life she didn’t get when she was a child. Lyceans have always had it rough. Ye know that. This place is a paradise fer Lyceans and Atlanteans. She didn’t want to risk ye not fitting in. I understood. It was selfish of me ta want more kids after ye when it would overwhelm yer mom.’

  
Bog sat quietly, letting the words sink in. “Even now, ye accept that?”

  
“I do. I love yer mom. I’ve been searching for ye and her for the last five years. Yer so important to me. Yer my only son. She is also important to me. I don’t want ta see ye mad at her.” Arawn went on. “Ye won’t always agree with yer wife and let me tell you now, Son, Marianne is a spitfire who has a stubborn streak ye won’t believe.”

  
“I’ve run into it.” Bog grimaced.

  
“When ye do, just remember ye love her above all else, but uh, I guess ye don’t really have to worry about that, do ye?” Arawn realized his advice might not even apply to Bog.

  
“No. I love her so much.” Bog smiled. “I could never forget that.”

  
“Good. Marianne deserves a good husband as much as ye deserve a good wife.” Arawn smiled, then stood up. “Speaking of wives, I’m going to go figure out where yer mom is hiding now.” Bog made a face at that, which Arawn ignored as he headed off into the house.  
“I’ll be at Marianne’s.” Bog sighed.

  
“Have fun. We’ll begin training tomorrow. Get some rest too.”

  
Bog sat for a moment longer. Then he smiled. His mother was happy. He was still mad at her, but that was just on the surface. Beneath it, he was happy for her. She had told him stories about her husbands and how often she had been left without them after a few years to raise children alone. She always did it with a cheerful, happy face, but it was all really sad when Bog thought about it.

  
Zelda had raised him alone with community support, but with how much she pestered Bog about having a wife and having children of his own, he couldn’t help but feel she wanted that for herself as well. At least the having a husband part. Then his thoughts drifted to Marianne. He couldn’t pressure her into anything she didn’t want, and as much as he wanted children of his own, that would not have any bearing on his love for her.

  
Besides, children had a way of showing up on his doorstep every few months. They usually were adopted into a local family, but there had been several occasions when Zelda had chosen to keep them for a few years.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Bog smiled when he walked into the Summers’ living room and saw Marianne. There were two cups of coffee set out, and a bottle of cold root beer. Unfortunately, her father sat next to her. He still smiled because she was wearing the clothes he had bought for her.

  
“If ye don’t mind, I’d rather be over here than in my house today.” Bog took the root beer off the coffee table and sat down. 

  
“Out of curiosity, did you know you had Arcadian abilities, Bogdan?” Lucas didn’t waste any time asking.

  
“Dad.” Marianne sighed.

  
“No. I did not.” Bog shook his head, popping the cap on the root beer. “While we’re talking about uncomfortable subjects. Why did ye have Marianne’s Lycean side sealed?” Marianne stared into her cup of coffee as Bog and her father discussed the same thing she had talked with him earlier.

  
“My mother’s fears are completely groundless.” Bog smiled. “Any child we have is going to be raised without sealing anything. We have to be careful and that is why Marianne was allowed to buy this house to begin with. To train children to be careful with their abilities. Just because a child may have both Arcadian and Lycean abilities will not be a problem, however.” Bog looked at Marianne, who was still avoiding joining in. “When or if there are any children is completely up to Marianne. If she never wants to have any, I will be okay with it.”

Marianne looked up slowly at that, fixing Bog with a critical knowing look. “You are a bad liar, Bog.”

  
“I will be okay.” Bog reiterated, meeting her look with a stubborn one of his own.

  
“No, you won’t. I’ve seen how you are with children. You want them more than anything.” Marianne stated.

  
“Not more than ye.” Bog shook his head, but he wasn’t smiling.

  
“Dad, why did you have to force this conversation?” Marianne glared at her father angrily. “We would have had it on our own.”  
“It’s important,” Lucas stated. Bog began to feel nervous as the heated look on Marianne’s face intensified.

  
“And a private decision between the two of us.” Marianne turned and gave Bog the biggest, most disturbing smile he had ever seen. “YOU are getting kids. Not soon, but someday. When WE are ready.”

  
“Okaaay.” Bog tilted his bottle up and began quickly drinking it.

  
Lucas looked from Bog to Marianne and chuckled. “Wise man.” Then he turned to Bog and changed the subject, “Choose where you want to go for your honeymoon and when you want it to be. Anywhere in the world for two weeks. It’s my wedding gift to you both.” Bog began to open his mouth. “No arguments.” Lucas got up and walked out of the room. “I’ll leave you two alone. I need to go pester Dawn and Sunny now.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

“I feel sorry for Dawn and Sunny,” groaned Marianne running her hand over her face. Bog remained where he was sitting, not quite sure if he should join her or not. “Bog.” Marianne scowled at him. “Why are you still sitting there?” She turned her head to the empty spot on the couch next to her. 

  
Bog immediately got up and sat next to her. He set his drink down and opened his arms for her. Marianne gave him a sweet smile and turned to wrap her arms around him and snuggle up close. Bog dropped his arms around Marianne and squeezed her tightly up against him.

  
“I meant what I said. Ye are more important to me than having any children.” Bog smiled affectionately. Marianne’s head rested on his shoulder, and she smiled back with a stubborn glint in her eyes.

  
“I promise, maybe after a year or two, we’ll do it. I want to enjoy you first.”

  
“That’s good. I want to enjoy ye too.” Bog leaned in to kiss her, but not for long. He grimaced and was forced to lean back. “I’m sore all over.”

  
“You can’t heal it away?”

  
“Not the soreness, no. It’s not as bad as it was, so by tomorrow, I should be okay. Maybe we should go see Amber tonight.” Bog suggested. “She stopped the snow after I talked to her, but she’s probably stewing right now.”

  
“I don’t know if I want to see her. She tried to eat me, Bog.” Marianne grumbled.

  
“I’ll go with you.” Titania snarled from the middle of the living room. She was sitting on the other side of the coffee table and materialized out of nowhere. Bog jumped and winced.

  
“Titania, give us a warning you’re in the room.” Marianne scolded her.

  
“Doing my job.” Titania let her tongue loll out of her mouth.

  
“Let’s do that another day.” Marianne sighed. “Today, let’s just relax and not worry about anything.”

  
“I’m good with that.” Bog nodded in agreement.

**Bonus Selection - The Full Scene of Zelda and Arawn**

“We need to talk.” 

  
Those words shot a streak of cold up Arawn’s back. He had been sitting back, reading a newspaper, and enjoying a beer when Zelda spoke those words. She sat down across from him in a recliner. Arawn immediately put his newspaper down. When his wife wanted something, he made it a point to listen. “What about?” Arawn went over the day’s events. He couldn’t think of anything that would lead to any sort of serious conversation.

  
“You need to stop encouraging Bog to explore ‘those’ abilities,” Zelda spoke, her usually happy face set with concern.

  
“They are a part of him.” Arawn sat upright, feeling like this was a personal attack against what he was. That had been a point of contention for a while. Zelda was always frantic that he hide his Arcadian side and pretend to be a human. Arawn did what she wanted, but he couldn’t restrict his son. “He needs to practice to manage them.”

  
“I want you to stop,” Zelda stated. 

  
“Ye can’t avoid teaching a boy how to use the things he’s born with and ignore them, Zelda. It’s his right to use everything he has. This is a rough world. Ye and I both know it. Every ability he has will help him.”

  
“If he turns out to be able to shift, he is a Lycean, Arawn. He has to follow that side of him. My family and our people will be terrified of him if he displays Arcadian abilities! Nobody knows you’re Arcadian! Nobody can know that!” Zelda’s voice rang out angry and full of frustration.

  
“Then we need to change that. He’s just a boy.” Arawn’s voice dropped off. His bright blue eyes dulled, feeling that stab again at what he was. He stared into his wife’s eyes, feeling all the hurt and suspicions he had felt over the recent years demand a release. He realized something important. “Is, is this why ye keep yerself away when it’s your time of the year? Ye don’t want to have any more children with me? Because they might be like Bogdan?” 

  
Zelda’s face contorted into sadness, and tears began streaming over her usually rosy cheeks. She looked to the floor in guilty admission. Arawn only felt sadness at the response. He wasn’t angry. He was deeply disappointed. He rose shakily from his chair and left the room, barely holding himself in. 

  
Arawn loved his wife so much, the betrayal stabbed him in the heart. He reached Bog’s door and stopped, sobbing heavily. He couldn’t recall the last time he had shed a tear over anything. Had it been the day his son had been born? The door was open. Arawn pushed it the rest of the way, hoping that his son had not been awake to hear them arguing.

  
He stepped inside, sat down on Bog’s bed, and reached out to lay a hand on his son’s side. Bog pretended to be asleep, but his father’s sadness was easy for him to feel. “I love ye, Bogdan. Yer mom loves ye too.” Arawn sat there for a few minutes longer, making futile attempts to regain control of himself. He had one perfect son, and he had a wife he loved and adored. They had their problems, but they loved each other.

  
Arawn sighed and got up, giving his son one last look. The boy slept peacefully in his warm, safe, and secure bed. His room was filled with toys, books, and art. Bogdan was safe here and had everything he could ever need. Arawn’s Lycean family was safe from Arcadians. He was in a community that accepted him. Arawn had a shortlist of desires. He wanted a woman to love that loved him. And he had wanted children. He wanted a family. That was all he ever wanted.

  
“Arawn?” Zelda whispered from the door.

  
“I’m okay.” Arawn closed his eyes and turned to join her in the hall. “I wanted a big family.” He pushed the door closed.

  
“I know you did.” Zelda placed her hands on his arms, standing in front of him. “I did too.”

  
“If this is what ye are comfortable with, then I will not bring it up again,” Arawn whispered. This was his desire, and it was selfish when it involved his beloved wife’s fears. This had been a hard decision for her to make. He wished that she had involved him in it. It would have been less painful.

  
“I love you, Arawn.” Zelda hugged him around the waist.

  
“But ye don’t love my Arcadian blood.” Arawn pushed her back gently. “I need to be alone for a wee bit.” Zelda followed him down the hall, wringing her hands.

  
“I love you, Arawn,” Zelda repeated. She hadn’t wanted to hurt him. It was rare for anything to bother Arawn, but Zelda knew what his biggest insecurities were. She had built on them over the years while avoiding them. “I love you.”

  
“I know ye do. To the ends of the Earth and back again.” Arawn grumbled. “I love ye too. This doesn’t change anything. I am disappointed that we couldn’t have talked about this. I am going to continue training Bog. He needs to know how to use everything he has. He will be the strongest King yer people have ever had.” Zelda was not happy to hear that. “And it’s time to let yer family know what he can do.” She was even less happy to hear that.

  
“One more thing.” Arawn turned to face his wife. “Promise me, if anything ever happens to me, ye raise Bogdan the same way we have been, knowing his Arcadian side. I have training books for him.”

  
“Don’t say things like that!” Zelda threw her arms around him and squeezed him. “Nothing is going to happen to you!” Then she began sobbing.

  
“Most likely not.” Arawn sighed, leaning down to hug her. “But I believe in being prepared for anything and making sure Bogdan doesn’t end up alone in this world. He’s a sweet kid. I would never have thought that such an innocent creation could come out of centuries of me.”

  
“He’s my favorite son.” Zelda chuckled.

  
“Ye aren’t supposed to play favorites with yer kids, Zelda.” Arawn grinned, then whispered, “He’s my favorite son too.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I wrote the memory of Zelda NOT being on board with her special son being even MORE special, I had to write out the entire scene, because it is touching and I like it. That and it's one of the few times I will get to write Arawn being sad. It's also a good one to show just how devoted he is to his family.


	10. November 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roland plots, Marianne and Dawn build a snowman, then begin all out war on each other.

November 14 

Roland smiled gleefully as he accessed his hunter account, finding he still had access to the information he needed. He wasn’t having a lot of luck coming up with a plan to get to Marianne. His friends abandoned him, and he was fully aware that he had burned most of his contacts. He had no way to even get close to Marianne’s home. Arawn was there, and that man terrified him. Roland began his research, looking for ideas.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“Eejit kid.” Arawn smirked, watching everything Roland looked through. It was early in the morning, and he sat in Zelda’s bed with his laptop out. Zelda was curled up next to him, half asleep. 

“What was that?” Zelda yawned, pulling the blanket up over her bare shoulders.

“Roland is trying to work up a plan.” Arawn chuckled. “I’m watching him.”

“Bog won’t let me eat him,” Zelda muttered. “I offered.”

“Probably make ye sick.” Arawn set the laptop aside and joined his wife, snuggling up to her under the blanket. “I missed ye so much, even though I couldn’t remember what I was missing.”

“I missed you, and I knew what I was missing.” Zelda made a sad sniffling noise. “I didn’t believe you were dead. I would have felt it, but I had lost all hope of ever seeing you again. They took you so far away; I couldn’t figure out where you were.”

“Ye let Bogdan believe I was dead.” Arawn ran his fingers through Zelda’s hair, playing with the long wavy curls.

“I didn’t want him to look for you, because he would have.”

“Ye also told him I was an ordinary human.”

“Do we have to talk about that?” Zelda frowned, staring into her husbands bright blue eyes. “We don’t need to talk about it.”

“Why did ye have to lie to him? Why was the truth that bad?” Arawn looked back into her eyes, knowing he was upsetting her, but wanting an answer. “For over 3 decades. Why didn’t ye tell him when he became an adult?”

Zelda’s lower lip trembled, and she lowered her eyes, reaching out to embrace Arawn and pull herself closer to him. “Because I didn’t want to risk losing him.” She whispered. “He was the only part of you I had, and I wanted to keep him close.” She took a deep breath. “I regretted a lot of things I said to you, Arawn. I regretted things I did to you. I regretted.”

“Like what?” Arawn murmured, burying his face in her hair.

“Everything. I lost so much before I met you. You are the love of my life. I was awful to you, and then you were gone.”

“Ye weren’t that bad, Zelda. I think yer bein’ too hard on yerself. Besides, I’m here now, and I love ye every bit as much as I did then.”

“Can we stop talking about it now?” Zelda frowned.

“Yes, my lovely lass. There are other things I want to do.” Arawn took Zelda’s chin between his fingers and gently lifted it so he could kiss her fully. “Like making up for all that time apart.” He didn’t say another word, losing himself in his wife’s welcoming embrace.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 

Sunny, Bog, and Zelda sat on the Laird’s back porch early in the morning with plates of cinnamon rolls in hand. Arawn had Marianne and Dawn out in the yard, standing in over a foot of snow. Everyone was dressed warmly, except Bog who was in a black tank top and jeans. Arawn had told him it would be best to dress lightly for what they were going to practice with. “Okay, warm up time. Ye two clear and dry the yard so we can have room to practice.” Arawn directed Dawn and Marianne.

“Do you want to build a snowman?” Dawn giggled at her sister.

Marianne cracked her knuckles and flexed her fingers. “Biggest snowman wins.” The two separated to opposite sides of the yard. Arawn joined everyone else on the porch, sitting down next to Zelda on a swing.

“Hopefully, this doesn’t turn out like last time,” Arawn grumbled, helping himself to a piece of a cinnamon roll. 

“What happened last time?” Bog stood between the two swinging chairs, watching Dawn and Marianne with interest.

“War,” Arawn smirked.

Then they began, simultaneously moving their hands in identical motions. The snow around Marianne rolled up into a ball, which she turned and manipulated to roll around her and gather up as much snow as possible. Dawn was doing the same thing, but a little slower and with less smoothness.

Marianne had Bog’s full attention. It was the first time he could watch her showing off her abilities. Soon, there were two massive snowmen forming on each side of the yard. Marianne’s was bigger … until a giant ball of ice smacked into the head while her back was turned. Dawn quickly turned around to her snowman, pretending to be focusing on it. Marianne froze as she heard the sound of a large ball of snow hitting the ground.

“Uh, oh,” Arawn chuckled. “Here we go.”

“Dawn, did you just attack my snowman?” Marianne turned slowly, seeing the missing ball, and her sister’s back turned to her.

“What?” Dawn was busy manipulating another ball of snow. She had a guilty smile on her face and wasn’t about to turn around and let Marianne see it. Marianne flicked her fingers, and a gust of wind grabbed the top of Dawn’s snowman, twisting it and destroying the top half. “Hey!” Dawn turned with a grin, flinging a snowball at Marianne.

The snowball made a direct hit, exploding over Marianne’s face. She hadn’t expected it and didn’t try to dodge it. Marianne blinked away the snow, then her eyes narrowed on Dawn. She lifted both hands, and a mass of snow from her own snowman began rising in the air. Dawn made a screeching noise and ran to get behind what was left of hers.

“Remember, Dawn is pregnant!” Sunny yelled, jumping off the porch and running to help his wife. 

“Okay!” Marianne laughed, throwing the massive snowball into Sunny. He crashed into the ground beneath it, completely covered.

“Hey! Don’t crush Sunny!” Dawn whirled around, uttering a phrase that sent the bottom half of her snowman flying at Marianne. She did it a little too hard. Marianne yelped and dove to one side. The ball crashed into a section of Bog’s upraised garden and the fence, taking it with them. “Oops.” Dawn cringed seeing the damage she had just done. “I’m so sorry, Boggy!”

Bog stared at his fence, finishing off the cinnamon roll in his hands. This was just snow and wind. He chewed slowly, not sure how to respond. Marianne grinned, flexing her fingers and dragging half a dozen snowballs out of the destroyed section of the fence. She sent them flying at Dawn, who had no cover at all now. Dawn screamed, trying to get away from them. She threw her hands up and deflected the balls, sending them flying straight up in the air. Then she did the same thing Marianne had done and formed snowballs out of the pile of snow that was currently covering Sunny. She sent them flying after Marianne, who then realized that she also didn’t have anywhere to run.

Marianne took a stance and attempted to blow them back at Dawn, but there were too many of them. Several smacked into her chest, knocking her off her feet.

“If those were bullets, ye’d be dead!” Arawn shouted at the two. “Ye both have shields! Use them!” He stepped back to grin as both girls snapped up a transparent shield in front of them. This was an excellent opportunity to gauge Dawn and Marianne’s current ability level.

“Should ye be encouraging them?” Bog grumbled. “They already broke my fence.”

Marianne began sweeping the yard in front of them with wind, gathering up the last of the snow, then fire erupted in the middle of the yard. Dawn created a small wind funnel to take care of the fire, sending it whirling up into the sky along with the snow Marianne was attempting to throw on her. Marianne responded by sending a focused burst of wind at Dawn, which slammed into her shield and knocked her off her feet. 

“Marianne!” Sunny shouted seeing his wife fall. “Don’t get carried away!” He was soaked and mad now. He ran to check on Dawn, who was giggling and picking herself up without his help.

“Yard’s clear! And I won!” Marianne grinned, walking up to the porch.

“Ye, good job, Elsa. So winner’s going to fix my fence and my garden bed, right?” Bog smirked at her, pointing to it. “Both of ye should take care of that.”

“No way. I was careful. I didn’t throw a big ball of snow into your fence!” Marianne protested with a smile, standing in front of Bog and poking him in the chest. She walked her fingers up Bog’s neck, then dragged one-up his cheek. “Winner gets a kiss.”

Bog lifted his chin, knowing she couldn’t reach him. “I dunno, ye-” Snow crashed down on top of Bog from the roof. He gasped, cold ice making its way beneath his clothes, and crouched. Marianne stepped back as it fell with a grin on her face. She moved forward and kissed him, then danced away. 

“Sunny came out to help Dawn! You just stood there!” Marianne laughed. She gestured to the snow on Bog and pulled most of it off him, throwing it in her own yard.

“Okay, that’s enough.” Arawn chuckled. “I’m going to go and give Bog a quick lesson, then we’re unsealing yer abilities.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 

Marianne happily watched Bog practice the equation Arawn gave him. Watching that man working on something was always a pleasure. Bog created a small ball of blue lightning and rolled the orb over his fingers and along his arm, trying to control its path.

Arawn stepped onto the porch and sat down. “Before I remove the seal on your lycean side, ye need to know something important, Marianne.”

Zelda began giggling, and a huge smile spread over her face. “I voted for not telling you this.”

“I overruled her, fer ye and Bogdan’s own good.” Arawn groaned. “When a seal is removed, ye will be hit by overwhelming emotions and senses. It’s bad enough when it’s a Lycean who knows what it’s like to be a Lycean, but fer ye thought I should warn ya.”

“Okay, so I’m going to be able to see, hear, and smell a lot of things?” Marianne ventured. Dawn leaned in nearby, listening intently.

“Yes, better than ye could before, but that is not my concern.” Arawn smiled slightly. “I don’t know how many Lycean traits ye have, but because their genetic match instinct is so strong.” Arawn trailed off for a moment, staring at Marianne. “Zelda.”

“When you met Bog, how did you feel about him. Be truthful.” Zelda smiled, reaching out to take Marianne’s hand. “Could you get him out of your head, or were you drawn to him in any way.”

“I really liked him, but I wasn’t ready for a relationship,” Marianne explained. “But Bog wouldn’t get out of my head. I wanted to see him. I wanted to see him every day, and I would watch for him.” Her cheeks flushed as she admitted it. “I dreamed about Bog, and I didn’t even know him.”

“Yeah, that’s what it is, only you didn’t feel it as intensely as you should have because you were sealed.” Zelda nodded slowly. “So, you are going to get all of that emotion that you didn’t get over the last year all at once.”

“What?” Marianne stared at Zelda, then looked at Arawn. “Is that safe?”

“It will last for ten to fifteen minutes, but if ye want to go to yer house where ye can’t see Bogdan, ye won’t do anything ye might regret, because that’s MY worry,” Arawn stated. “Bogdan told me ye were waiting, and if I did this and let ye go, worst-case scenario, there would be no waiting.”

“Oh.” Marianne frowned. “Yeah, Bog would not be happy about that, and neither would I.”

“However, that’s why I’m telling ye this because it’ll be the only time ye get to feel exactly what Bog felt like and what ye are supposed to feel like when ye met. It’s just going to be concentrated.” Arawn explained further. “So if ye want to feel it, Zelda and I will be escorting ye to make sure nothing gets out of hand.”

“Wow. Is that going to happen to me too?” Dawn inquired in awe.

“Yer already married. We’re not stopping anything from happening.” Arawn chuckled. “But yes, it will be similar.”

“How do you know this?” Marianne stared at Arawn.

“I have to seal abilities for transporting prisoners, Marianne.” Arawn scowled. “I also do it to get dumb Lyceans out of trouble and relocate them to safer places.”

“Oh.” Marianne took a moment to think about it, then she looked up at Bog and smiled. “Think he would like that kind of surprise? Because I think he would.”

“I do. Within reason.” Arawn smiled. “He didn’t get the reaction from ye he should have.”

“I just want to watch.” Zelda giggled.

Arawn rolled his eyes. “I’ll keep ye from getting too carried away. I don’t have to worry about Bogdan. He will respond to ye, but he’ll keep his head. I think.”

Marianne took a deep breath, then looked at Arawn. “Okay. I’m ready. Do it here.”

“Remember, ye have full control of yerself, Marianne.” Arawn took Marianne’s hand and reached out to touch her head. He looked into her eyes and began speaking the equation to remove the seal. “Close yer eyes.”

Marianne squeezed her eyes tight as a warm sensation flooded through her head. Memories that had been hidden from her began rushing through her head. So many lost memories of her mother. She caught fragments of equations for healing and creation and how happy her mother had been at first. Then there were sadder memories where her mother stopped teaching her things and just looked worried and concerned. She even saw the day that Arawn came and took everything away.

Then there was a brief flash of white light and a strange lifting sensation in her ears, eyes, and nose. Marianne heard Arawn speaking clearly, even though he hadn’t changed how loud he spoke. She could smell everyone around her and it was overpowering. She didn’t dare open her eyes as a burning sensation went through them.

“We’re done,” Arawn whispered. “But don’t open your eyes immediately. Wait until you hear my voice at a whisper. It should only take a moment.” Marianne breathed in slowly, waiting for her senses to adjust.

“I’m going to be able to control this?” Marianne whispered. Her voice sounded incredibly loud.

“Yes. It will take time, but your body will adjust. You’ll never be able to do it as well as Bogdan, but ye will find it useful.” Arawn’s voice began dropping. Marianne smiled, hearing Bog’s name. The oddest sensation went through her body as she saw him in her mind. Her thoughts immediately ran wild, dragging her emotions with her. She wanted to open her eyes and look for him.

Bog stopped what he was doing and walked to the porch. He was hit with a sudden need to see to Marianne. There was more to it. She smelled different. The same, but different.

“Keep talking. You’re almost at a whisper.” Marianne grinned as a tremor passed through her body.

“How do ye feel, Marianne?” Bog’s beautiful voice called out next to her, and Marianne immediately opened her eyes and looked for him. Her vision was blurry until she blinked. She looked into his brilliant blue eyes and was drawn to him in a way she had never felt before. How had he managed to resist this? With it came amplified feelings she had always had for him.

“I love you.” Marianne grinned.

“I love ye, too.” Bog grinned back, unsure of what to make of the strange light in her eyes.

“Guess what.” Marianne gave him an even more worrying look. “I knew I loved you when I met you too, I just couldn’t feel it as strongly then.” Marianne moved so fast that even Arawn was impressed. She brought Bogdan down to the ground in seconds and ended up straddling his chest, her hands on his shoulders. Bog just laid there in astonishment as she covered him in wild passionate kisses.

“Here, I was worried his pants were going to come off.” Arawn sighed in relief. “This isn’t so bad.”

“Ahhhh.” Zelda gushed.

“Ooh, I’m next!” Dawn giggled, turning a flirtatious look to Sunny. He swallowed nervously in response.

Bog wasn’t sure what was going on, but he liked it. He completely forgot anyone else was nearby or that the ground was cold and hard. He wasn’t thinking at all. Marianne’s warm lips were on his, then she was kissing his neck, nibbling on his ears, and back to his mouth. Her hands were kneading into his shoulders, and she smelled so good. 

“Okay, now, yer going to give my lad a heart attack.” Marianne was suddenly lifted off of Bog. She grabbed for his shirt, but Arawn was too quick for her. He took a few steps back and steadied Marianne on her feet.

Bog laid there for a moment, blinking unsurely. His face was red, and he was breathing heavily. “What was that?” He groaned, running a hand over his face.

“It’ll pass in a few minutes.” Arawn chuckled, keeping an arm around Marianne.

“Uh. Wow.” Marianne giggled, blushing.

Bog got up laughing. “So yer Lycean side was working through the seal? Ye chose me from the start!” He walked up to Marianne, arms out. Arawn stepped aside with a smile. Bog and Marianne embraced more reasonably, smiling, and sinking into each other’s arms.

“I love ye, Love.” Bog murmured, kissing the top of Marianne’s head.

“Mmm, you smell so good!” Marianne buried her face into his chest. “Oh this is amazing! I can’t describe it, but I like it! It’s YOU.”

“Yeah, Lyceans like to smell things.” Bog smirked. “I’ll help ye sort through those, but we should probably get on with our training now.” He let Marianne go. She turned and giddily walked toward Zelda, who was beckoning her to the house.

“Dear, I’ll teach you some interesting things.” Zelda chuckled, winking at Arawn.

“Bogdan, go back to yer practice. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Arawn motioned to Dawn and Sunny to follow her. Dawn bounced after Arawn with Sunny close behind, twisting his hands with a worried look on his face.

Bog couldn’t get rid of his smile as he was left alone. He went back to practicing, forming ball lightning on his fingertips and making it travel over his arm and up to his shoulders and down the opposite arm. He could feel it now, an unbreakable bond with Marianne. Before, he had only been able to feel his side, but now he felt complete like it should have always been.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 

“What d’ya call a werewolf with a 5 o’clock shadow?” Arawn walked around Bog with a massive staff in hand. It had an ornamental hooked head with a golden orange gem in the center. 

Bog turned to face him with an annoyed look on his face. In just a few days, he learned a lot about his father, and one of those things was he was full of bad dad jokes. He had been telling them to Bog in passing constantly. Bog was balancing an orb of ball lightning above each hand. “That’s distracting.”

“A barely-there-wolf.” Arawn chuckled, striking out at Bog’s left arm with the staff. Bog was too slow, and the orb exploded, sending a burst of electricity into his hand.

“Ow!” Bog yelped flinging his hand. Even the small orbs stung when he lost control of them. There was a black burn spot on his palm where it had struck. “Maybe ye should let me practice more before ye do that.”

“Pain is a powerful teacher, Bog.” Arawn twirled the staff and slammed it into the ground. A blast of energy exploded from it, sending Bog staggering back. Then Arawn took up a very intimidating fighting stance, beckoning Bog to try to attack him.

Bog wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t ready to spar with his father. Even though all of his memories were of a tender, caring father, he had been a small child then. The man standing before him was a hardened warrior who had seen multiple lifetimes worth of combat and training. Bog got the sense that if he took him up on that offer, he would wind up in a tree or smashing into a fence or the wall of his house. Arawn wouldn’t hold back, because he knew that Bog would just heal whatever he did to him.

It was not lost on Bog that his father was a dangerous man. If they met as Lycean and Arcadian Hunter, Bog would have run, and chances were Arawn would have been able to beat him into the ground. This man was a bogeyman in the mouths of Lycean mothers to their children.

“Let me practice more.” Bog offered up a crooked smile of deference.

“Good, Lad.” Arawn returned the smile with his own. “Don’t take on more than ye can handle until yer ready. Practice with the lightning fer now. Tomorrow we work on shields. By the way, I got an idea about how to take care of yer lack of defense when yer a wolf. Ye’ll like it, but I want ta see the Lycean who forged Marianne’s sword.”

“That would be Brutus.” Bog nodded. “I’ll introduce ye today if ye want.”

“I would.” Arawn nodded, flexing his hand to release his staff. It vanished.

“Will I be able to do that?” Bog motioned to Arawn’s empty hand.

“I hope so. The staff is a bloodline ability only linked to us.” Arawn nodded. “But it will take time to get to that point, and ye will need to be trained to use it.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 

It was early evening when Bog and Arawn arrived at Brutus’ home. It was a few blocks away from Bog’s house, and they walked. Bog refused to ride in his CR-V and handed over the keys to his father without a word. They waited until Brutus had free time to talk to Arawn.

“Evening, Bog!” Brutus greeted with a huge smile. “Glad to see you’re okay. When’s that party?”

“The 22nd. Let everyone know I’m hosting.” Bog grinned as his friend patted him on the back so hard he almost knocked him down. “This is my father, Arawn.”

“We’ve met.” Brutus chuckled.

“That sword you made for Bog. Did you know it is a channel weapon?” Arawn inquired, curious to see if Brutus knew what he was making. The big man’s face went completely blank, trying to figure out what he was asking.

“I make them the way my father taught me, and his father taught him.” Brutus looked perplexed. 

Arawn reached into his pocket and pulled out a small dagger in a sheath. He handed it to Brutus. “This is a channel weapon too. Look it over, then give it back and I will show you how they are used. Lyceans can’t use them as they are intended.”

Brutus took the dagger and pulled it from the sheath. He turned it over, noting the designs and faint inscriptions along with the fuller that ran through the center. Brutus handed it back to Arawn. 

“Brutus, don’t be alarmed.” Bog stated. “Arawn is my father. Remember that.” 

Arawn chuckled, holding the blade up. “This is how it’s supposed to be used.” He flicked his wrist and a bolt of electricity arced off his hand and hit the blade, lighting it up. It danced over the metal, arcing over it repeatedly. Brutus’ eyes widened, and he took a step back. He looked Arawn up and down, then looked at Bog. “It’s a weapon for Arcadians, Brutus. Ye forge a good one too. Marianne used the sword you created to free Bog.”

“You’re an Arcadian? Marianne is an Arcadian?” Brutus stared at Arawn in awe with a touch of fear on his face. Arawn flicked the electricity off the blade, making it dissipate harmlessly into the air.

“Oh, it gets better, and ye get to be the first one to see this.” Bog held out his hand, letting the same blue lightning that his father had flicker over his finger sand arc into a ball. “Isn’t this awesome, Brutus. I have Arcadian abilities.” Brutus stared, and Bog wasn’t sure if he was going to be happy about it or upset. He was one of Bog’s oldest friends.

“That’ s-that’s impossible,” Brutus stated in awe. Then he smiled. “You’re amazing, Bog.”

Bog grinned, snapping his hand closed to draw the energy back inside. “Great. I was hoping ye wouldn’t be afraid of it.”

“I know you,” Brutus stated enthusiastically. “I’ve never heard of a Lycean with Arcadian abilities! This is amazing! Can I tell the guys?!”

“If ye think they won’t freak out.” Bog nodded quickly. This was the way he wanted the news to get out. Word of mouth through his trusted friends first.

“Yeah, so the reason we’re here is I want ye to forge some weapons for me, Bog, and Marianne.” Arawn reached into his pocket and pulled out several sheets of paper. He handed them to Brutus. “We’ll be paying ye well for them. I also wanted to see if ye could make a few pieces of armor to test on Bog. He needs some sort of protection.”

“I can do this. I’d be happy to do this.” Brutus nodded quickly, glancing at the designs. “It’ll take me a while. What do you want me to start first.”

“This one.” Arawn took the papers back, went through them and put one on top. “Don’t let him see it.”

“What? What are you doing?” Bog tried to look, and Brutus turned around too fast for him to see.

“He told me not to let you look.” Brutus grinned.

“I know. I’m standing right here.” Bog scowled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fun chapter to write, and it's still fun for me to read it.   
Happy New Year and thank you for reading my little story. :D


	11. November 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog is having huge issues living with his parents and seeks a way to resolve them. Then we're having a lesson in using abilities to check on Dawn's pregnancy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Realized I haven't set up my new schedule for when I update and this should go up on Fridays in the future, but it was already prepped when I remembered, so you get updates on three stories today. :D

November 16 

-=-=-=-=- 

Marianne opened her door to find Bog on the other side. He stormed inside, walked to the couch, turned, and plopped down in the middle of it with a loud groan. “I live here now!”

“You what?” Marianne turned, stifling a giggle as she closed the door.

“I LIVE on yer couch. Right here.” Bog threw his head back and put his arms out on the back of the couch and crossed his feet on top of the coffee table. “Forever. I’ll cook and clean, just don’t make me go home.”

“Uh, we’re getting married in a little over a month, Bogdan.” Marianne sat down next to him and kissed him on the cheek. 

“I need to do something about my parents.” Bog dropped his arm around Marianne’s waist. He added in a whisper. “They’re having … relations … all over my house.” Bog said it with a scowl and an extreme look of disgust. 

Marianne tried to hold it back. The way he said it. It was hilarious. She made it ten seconds before throwing her head back and howling in laughter.

“It’s not funny!” Bog scowled at her. “They were in my studio! MY STUDIO! They said they wanted to watch the sunrise, and then one thing led to another!” He groaned, running his hand over his face and into his hair. “I walked in on them in the den, in the kitchen, in the living room! We can not share a house with them, Marianne!”

“Yeah, you might have a point there.” Marianne sighed. It wasn’t funny anymore. “You have other properties? Maybe the farmhouse?” She laughed. “Just build them a house?”

Bog looked at her thoughtfully, then shifted so he could kiss her. “Ye might be on to something. I’ll be back.” He got up, then turned to Marianne, “Would ye prefer living in my house or a new house?”

“I’m fine living where ever you are.” Marianne smiled. “But if you want to build a house, I’d prefer we take our time and get what we both want.”

“Okay.” Bog nodded, darting out of the house with a mission.

-=-=-=-=- 

Bog returned half an hour later with a confused look on his face and a handful of papers. Marianne sat in the living room with her laptop, working when he came inside. “So my mom and dad have already been talking about this. They want the plot behind my house. Dad apparently told mom to do whatever she wanted, and she uh. Marianne. Look at this.” Bog sat down next to her and held out the papers.

Marianne took the papers and flipped through them. The plans were for a two-story house with two master suites on the bottom floor and two bedrooms. There were four more bedrooms on the second floor. The layout looked a lot like the farmhouse’s layout, at least what Marianne had seen.

“Why do they need so many bedrooms?” Bog fidgeted with his fingers.

“Probably for when we have six kids and run out of room in your house,” Marianne suggested with a half-hearted smile.

“She just doesn’t stop.” Bog sighed. Then he turned to look at Marianne with a smile. “Yer going to see something amazing. I’m going to get a house built before our wedding.” He was up again and out the door.

Marianne shook her head and smiled. When that man got something in mind, he did it. This was going to be an interesting month.

-=-=-=-=- 

Marianne finished up her work for the day before noon. She had a few small projects left but had decided to not pursue other work for a while. She had decided to only take on more work if it was offered to her, but her fingers were itching for something else.

Zelda taught Marianne how to scan and do simple healing equations. She was only to do simple things until she learned to manage what she was doing. Then, Zelda had her creating solid objects with increasing levels of complexity to see what level she was at to start with. Marianne managed to create basic shapes that were smooth. The next step was to manipulate them together and learn how to create different materials. It was a lot of work to remember the equations for each little thing. 

However, with alchemy, the more times you used an equation and spoke it, the more it became innate. Eventually, she would not have to say the equations. She would just have to think them. At some point, she would be able to do it without thinking at all.

Marianne was beginning to consider Arawn’s offer. She came from a family of well-known hunters. Her father had forbidden her and Dawn from pursuing that as a career, for their safety. They were his only daughters, and he continually claimed he had no interest in ever having another wife or more children. That didn’t make sense to Marianne. He was only a little over a hundred. It was common for Arcadians to have one or two children every 50 or 60 years. Each time they reset their lives to avoid any normal human from figuring out there was something different about them. Her father was considered a young adult by Arcadian standards, and due to his family line, he would be expected to have more children in the future but wasn’t interested.

Lucas’ parents were raising twin girls. Marianne had lots of uncles and aunts. Even her great grandparents had a teenaged son. As Marianne was thinking about her family tree, a realization hit her. Her father said there was a lot of Lycean blood in her family, and she had not asked who else was Lycean. When he stated he didn’t have any Lycean abilities, did that imply that grandmother or grandfather was a Lycean? Great grandmother and great grandfather? Which ones were Lyceans, and which ones were Arcadians? Everyone in their family had taken the King’s surname as tradition dictated. 

They were all invited to the wedding, and if they came, she might be able to find out. Marianne was deep in her thoughts when she heard the sound of a chainsaw starting up. She set the laptop down and stared at the far wall. He couldn’t have begun that fast. Marianne got up and went up the stairs to her studio. She went to the windows that faced out to the forest and stared out at the sight before her. A dozen men were walking through the trees, marking them. Behind them was a crew with a huge machine that was literally eating trees.

The massive yellow vehicle was one of the biggest pieces of equipment Marianne had ever seen. It was built like a tank, moving on treads. The machine had a towering arm outfitted with rotating blades at the end, and it rose over the top of a tree, came down, and turned it into mulch. Marianne stared at it in awe. The men on the ground were keeping well away from it.

There were other pieces of construction equipment parked nearby along with diggers and vehicles full of piping. Marianne checked the time. It was early afternoon, and Bog had gotten all these people and all these machines out, in the snow, in under three hours. He was seriously going to get a house built in a month.

-=-=-=-=- 

Roland smiled. It had taken him several days, but he had a plan. Bog was a threat to his goal of getting to Marianne. Arawn was a far more significant threat. Bog could be taken down with silver, and Roland was already working on that. He had his gear, guns, and a few silver blades he could use. Roland needed one well-placed shot, and that monster would go down. Then his only obstacle was Marianne, and he would take her by surprise. There could be no mistakes. He had one opportunity, and if he failed, he would never get another one.

Roland had a plan.

It was a good one.

-=-=-=-=- 

The doorbell rang, and Marianne rushed to answer it. For a moment, she thought it would be Bog, then remembered that he didn’t ring the doorbell anymore or even knock. He came inside. The front door was always unlocked during the day. She heard the sound of Titania’s nails across the living room floor as she reached the door.

Marianne opened the door to find herself face to face with a young woman she had never met before. She was a couple of inches taller than her and wore the fluffiest golden-white fur wrap Marianne had ever seen. The woman was fully clothed in matching fur. She was wearing a winter coat that went down to her knees and wore white knee-high leather boots. Piercing blue eyes shone out from a pale face, beneath a mass of wavy golden-brown hair.

“Good afternoon.” The woman didn’t wait to be invited inside. She stepped past Marianne and held out her hand. “Since you and Bog have not come to see me, I figured I would take his advice and ‘get out more.’”

“Uhm.” Marianne stared at the woman’s hand suspiciously and then out the door.

“Isn’t it rude not to greet a guest? I would like to be friends.”

“Who are you again?” Marianne wasn’t sure what to make of the strange woman.

“Amber.” The woman smiled and flicked her wrist, closing the door without touching it. “Now, you and I need to speak. Don’t be afraid. If you’re afraid, Bog’s going to run over here and try to rescue you.”

“I’m not-WHO, are you?” Marianne scowled at the woman. “It’s kinda rude to invite yourself into someone’s house like this.” She reached for the door to open it.

“Amber.” The woman touched Marianne’s arm for a brief moment, then she smiled. “Someone removed your seal. You know the truth.”

Marianne whirled around with her back to the door. “Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

Amber sighed. “And now he’s going to come. Look. I want to be friends with you. You are important to Bog, but the two of you need to respect me, and ignoring me is not going to work for anyone. I am not going to hurt you.”

Marianne heard Bog coming up the steps in a rush. She moved aside so she wouldn’t be hit by the door when he opened it. “Marianne?” Bog opened the door and entered the room in a slight crouch, looking around for whatever it was that was bothering her. His eyes settled on Amber. “Who are ye?”

“Amber.” The woman grinned at Bog. He stared at her for a moment.

“Amber?” He immediately moved to stand in front of Marianne. “What are ye doing here? I said I would bring Marianne to ye when she’s ready to meet ya. Ye remember trying to BITE her, right?”

“What?” Titania appeared out of nowhere and began growling at Amber. 

“Oh, that’s cute.” Amber grinned at the dog. “Arcadian Hellhound? Maybe I should improve upon the design.” She looked at Titania curiously. “Want a dog?”

“No.” Bog shook his head. “That one’s kinda annoying.”

“What?” Titania turned her attention to Bog, gave a little snort, and vanished.

“Now you’ve done it.” Marianne rolled her eyes. “You’ve offended her.”

“How can I offend her? She’s not MINE. We don’t need one of those following us all over the place. I swear she sits outside the bathroom every time I come over.” Bog swung his arms where Titania had been.

“Try having two of them.” Marianne wiped a hand over her face. “Dad’s Hell hounds do it all the time, and they aren’t invisible. I still trip over them in the middle of the night. You’d think something with glowing eyes would be easy to see, but no. They aren’t.”

“Anyway, I’m taking your advice and getting out into the world more.” Amber grinned at Bog. “And I’m going to think about what gift I need to make… oh wait, you need to apologize to me first.” Amber shifted her gaze to Marianne.

“Uhm.” Marianne sighed. “I’m sorry I lied to you and Bog.”

“Is that enough?” Bog folded his arms and glared at Amber. 

“Never do it again.” Amber grinned. “Now, I’m going to go walk around town and meet people.”

“Behave.” Bog sighed, turning to open the front door. Marianne scooted behind him. She did not trust Amber, in this form or any other. That creature was frightening.

-=-=-=-=- 

The King’s ate dinner at the Laird’s home that evening. Zelda wanted them over for a lesson in scanning a pregnant woman. That pregnant woman would be Dawn, who was more than happy to participate. So far, Zelda taught her how to stop her morning sickness and queasiness. Now she would teach her and Marianne how to do a quick health check on the baby. Dawn was fascinated by it because she wasn’t even to the point that she was showing. Zelda assured her Lyceans could manage their own pregnancies and know if something was wrong before anyone else.

Zelda had Dawn sitting in the middle of the couch. Zelda was sitting on one side and Marianne on the other. Bog was sitting on the arm of the couch next to Marianne, attempting to look disinterested in Dawn. Arawn was watching from across the living room in one of the recliners. Sunny sat in the other, looking on nervously. 

“You put your hand over your abdomen, right here.” Zelda moved Dawn’s hand to rest over her belly button. “Then you say these words exactly.” She uttered a short phrase.

Dawn repeated it and giggled. “Oh, wow. I can hear a heartbeat.” She turned to her sister, moving her hand away. “Marianne, do it.” Marianne put her hand in the same place and repeated the words. 

“Wow. That’s so amazing.” Marianne grinned at her younger sister. It really was amazing. Her little sister was going to be a mother. Then she made a concerned face. “There’s something off about it.” She whispered, not wanting to worry her sister. “Or am I not doing it right?”

Zelda chuckled. “Very perceptive. Bogdan, your turn.”

“Me? Why me? I’m not a midwife.” Bog jerked his head around and protested. He didn’t want to touch Dawn there. It was just weird.

“You’ve assisted me in four births and are fully trained.” Zelda grinned at her son.

“Don’t tell them that.” Bog groaned, glancing at his father. “I was bored.”

“Impressive.” Arawn chuckled. “So ye can deliver babies if it’s needed? That could be useful. Regular mid-wolf.” Bog groaned louder at his father.

“Bogdan.” Zelda nodded toward Dawn. “Check her and tell me what you can detect, so they know what to look for.” Sunny watched in silence as Bog grumbled and knelt next to Dawn. He placed his hand over her abdomen. He spoke, then jerked his head in Sunny’s direction. A lopsided grin spread across his face.

“Oh. That’s going to be news.” Bog chuckled, tapping his fingers on Dawn’s abdomen and saying another short equation. “Do I get to tell them or you?”

“What?” Dawn looked from bog to Zelda in concern.

“Sunny. You do it now.” Zelda motioned to Dawn. “Dawn told me you’re an Atlantean. You have this ability.”

“Atlantean?” Bog stood up and blinked at Sunny. “I thought ye were an Arcadian too.”

“No.” Sunny got up and walked to his wife. “I just haven’t mentioned it.” Marianne got up to let Sunny sit next to his wife. He leaned over to put his hand on Dawn’s stomach. “What is the equation again? I lost my family when I was young. I don’t know how to do this.”

“You need to be learning this with Dawn and Marianne.” Zelda tsked him and repeated the phrase. “Listen carefully and tell me what you hear.”

Sunny took a breath and repeated the words. He listened for a moment, then looked up at Dawn. “Dawn. Do it again and listen.” He moved his hand, and the color seemed to drain from his face.

“What is it, Sunny?” Dawn looked worried.

“Stop dragging this along. Dawn, yer pregnant with twins.” Bog scowled at how long they were taking to reveal this. 

“Twins?” Dawn gaped, folding her hands over her abdomen. She spoke, then smiled. “I hear it!” Then she looked at Sunny wide-eyed. “We’re having twins!” Then she burst into tears.

“What’s wrong with that? Two for the price of one.” Arawn leaned forward to watch the scene unfold. “Sounds good in my book.”

“Would you like to know if yer having boys or girls?” Bog grinned, rubbing his hands together eagerly.

Dawn stopped crying immediately and stared at Bog. “I want to know!”

“Uh, yeah?” Sunny looked at Bog uncertainly.

“Boys. Yer having boys.” He chuckled. 

Dawn began crying again. “I don’t know anything about boys!”

“Yer married to one.” Bog was amused by the reaction.

“Not helping.” Marianne jabbed Bog in the ribs with her elbow. “I’m sure it’ll be fine, Dawn.”

“I’m going to be around all the time!” Zelda grinned, hugging Dawn. “I love babies, and there haven’t been any in our neighborhood for years!”

“Mah! Ye delivered one last year.” Bog pointed out with a groan.

“She wasn’t next door!” Zelda gushed. She patted Dawn on the back. “Don’t you worry about a thing. Everything is going to be all right. You’ll do fine.” 

-=-=-=-=-

“I can’t believe Dawn is going to have two babies, and I’m not even married yet.” Marianne was sitting next to Bog on one of the swings in the backyard. It was almost too cold to sit outside, but their other options would have invited too much teasing from Zelda.

“I don’t think it’s a race or anything.” Bog wasn’t sure what to say to that. “We have all the time in the world.”

“Yeah.” Marianne nodded. 

“There isn’t a rush,” Bog added, squeezing Marianne affectionately.

“August. It’s August.” Marianne stated. 

“August?” Bog wasn’t following.

“The earliest we could try.”

“Oh. OH!” Bog trembled nervously. “No, Marianne. Just because yer sister’s pregnant and we’re getting married doesn’t mean we need to start a family right away. We’ll have our hands full helping yer sister.”

“Just letting you know.” Marianne smiled, glad to hear he wasn’t trying to pressure her into it. “You do need to know.”

“I do.” Bog nodded. “But we don’t need to even discuss that. My mom had a rule. Two years before any children. Two years between.”

“Why don’t you have any siblings?” Marianne did the math immediately. “Shouldn’t you have had at least one younger brother or sister?” She felt Bog sigh and regretted asking.

Bog told her about the conversation he had overheard as a child. Marianne listened.

“That’s not your fault, Bogdan.” She adjusted how she was sitting to put her arms around him and lay her head against his shoulder. “That was your mom’s decision.”

“Does it concern ye?” Bog kissed her on the forehead, enjoying her warmth. 

“No. I’m not sure I understand why my mom and dad were concerned,” Marianne grumbled. “In our family, it’s expected that every generation is stronger than the one before it. That’s just how it is. Dawn and I can do more than Dad can. He can do more than his parents could.”

“But ye don’t just develop Lycean abilities out of nowhere, Marianne.” Bog shook his head. “Maybe the fear is that they would make yer family outcast?”

“Possibly.” Marianne sighed. “But that doesn’t matter now. Our family is going to grow up here, and it looks like your people are more accepting of what we are.”

“I’m sure there are some who are not happy.” Bog shrugged. “Just how it is, but they will accept it.” Marianne was silent for a moment. She was kneading her fingers into his back with one hand. The other was gently stroking his arm. Bog lowered his head with a contented sigh. “Ye have no idea how good that feels.”

“That’s why I’m doing it.” Marianne grinned, running her hand up the middle of Bog’s back. He stiffened, then shuddered with a low groan.

“Yer going to drive me crazy.”

“That’s the point.” She slid out from under the blanket and straddled him, rising up on her knees and beginning to kiss him on the neck. “Little over a month.”

“Probably shouldn’t be doing this,” Bog mumbled, not trying to stop her. “Ye smell so good.”

“I love you.” Marianne spent several minutes kissing Bog. He put his hands on her waist and held them there.

“I love ye so much, Marianne.” He whispered, turning his head. “So, we’re going inside now.”

“Probably a good idea.” She grinned, leaning her forehead against his and held it for a moment, gazing into his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That first paragraph was stuck in my head for awhile before I wrote it down and it made me laugh every time I envisioned Bog's frustration and defeat.
> 
> I know twins are a tendency in fanfic, but I couldn't resist. :D Bog knowing how to deliver babies, one of those things that's: You are going to live a long time, so fill it with experiences and knowledge that might come in handy some day.


	12. November 20th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog works hard to get his parents out of his house and into their own. Meanwhile, an emergency that demands Bog's attention crops up.

November 20th

It only took a few days for the house being built behind Bog’s home to begin taking form. A huge basement had been dug beneath it. Bog informed Marianne that it was going to be a tremendous training room Arawn requested. The foundation was poured soon after and using alchemy, it was fully cured in a fraction of the time it would usually have taken.

“There’s a Nightmare in the front yard.” Dawn gasped suddenly. She and Sunny were standing near the windows in the living room.

“Seriously?” Marianne rushed to the window. Bog and another man were walking across the lawn to her porch, and behind them was a massive winged horse. It was covered in a coat of dark red fur that glistened in the sunlight like velvet. It had a bright red sheen. The wings folded at its sides were massive dragon wings. Golden orange fire lazily licked along the neck where a mane should have been. The tail was the same. This was a Solar Draconis, and Marianne had never seen one before.

Bog opened the door and noticed the Kings all staring out the window. “He’s harmless. Unless yer carrying black licorice. That’s Brimstone.” He stepped aside, putting a hand on the shoulder of the young man who had followed him inside. “And this is Kyler Brennan, one of my Peacekeepers.” 

“Hi.” Kyler smiled a smile which immediately brightened the room. It was just so friendly. It might also have been the fact that a solid black ferret-like animal sat on top of his head. The small animal raised its paw in greeting and smiled, flaring out a small set of black bat-like wings. These were the first two familiars the Kings had seen in Blackwood. 

Kyler was a few inches shorter than Bog. He had a muscular build, lightly tanned skin, and golden brown hair that fell in neatly groomed waves over golden-brown eyes. Kyler had a rugged layer of golden brown stubble on his pleasant face. He wore a clean white shirt and blue jeans with a tool belt strapped over his hips, and he carried a tablet in one hand. “Which one are you marryin’?” Kyler chuckled, looking from the obviously energetic Dawn to moody looking Marianne.

“I’m sure ye can guess,” Bog smirked, closing the door behind him.

“Hi, I’m Marianne.” She stepped forward and offered her hand.

“You can call me Kyler, Ma’am.” He took her hand and grinned as Marianne made sure to squeeze tight. “Not necessary to try to crush my hand. Any girl who’s fit for Bog’s gotta have spirit.”

“Introduce me!” The creature on Kyler’s head fluttered his wings.

“This is Fudge.” Kyler waved at him. “He’s a spy.”

“Absolute best spy!” Fudge stated proudly folding his wings on either side of Kyler’s head.

“Yeah, so why don’t you get off and go make friends with that happy girl over yonder.” Kyler gestured to Dawn. The animal immediately bounced off of Kyler’s head and swooped into Dawn’s arms.

“Oh, good grief! It’s so cute!” Dawn wrapped her arms around it and hugged it like it was a plush animal. It squeaked cheerfully.

“It’s a spy?” Bog gave Kyler an odd look. “Why’d ye bring it here? Where did ye get it.”

“You know the Springer land.” Kyler turned to Bog, glancing at Marianne as he did.

“Yeah, we used to go up there and try to catch those little mini-oh.” Bog looked at the animal that was now crawling up Dawn’s shoulder and back to Kyler. “Ye caught one?”

“He followed me home to spy on me.” Kyler rolled his eyes. 

“Did ye finally buy the land?” Bog asked. There were a few properties on the outskirts of town that were owned by human families. Over the years, they were purchased by Bog or one of the nearby Lycean families.

“No,” Kyler stated.

“Didn’t I tell you to buy that house months ago? What’s the holdup, Kyler?”

“The property is full of servant dragons and some sleepin’ Primes,” Kyler whispered. “It’s Emily Springer. She came home and remember, she’s not a human, and she’s not a Lycean, an Arcadian, OR an Atlantean. She’s something else, and she doesn’t know it. She doesn’t remember anything about Blackwood or me. She has kids.”

“I see.” Bog nodded in concern. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, then stopped himself. He remembered Emily. He remembered a lot more about that than he wanted to admit to. 

Kyler lowered his head, staring at the floor for a moment. “Funny how ya found your match and mine returned in the same year. I was afraid to tell you because I didn’t know what she is. I didn’t want you tryin’ to get her outta town.”

“Kyler.” Bog held out a hand to Marianne. “Marianne’s an Arcadian.” Kyler turned quickly to face Marianne, a look of fear crossing his face. “It’s okay!” Bog clapped his other hand on Kyler’s shoulder. “Kyler is an Eximius Lycean.” Bog was quick to explain.

“I’m not going to hurt anyone!” Marianne smiled, holding her hands up and stepping away from Kyler. He still regarded her with suspicion. “I am half Lycean.” She added. Kyler relaxed noticeably at that.

“Sorry.” He apologized. “You understand?”

“I do.” Marianne nodded.

“Ye should talk to my mom about her, Kyler. She knows stuff about everyone and might even know what she is.” Bog advised. “I’m not going to do anything about her. I trust yer judgment.”

“Yeah.” Kyler looked in the direction of Bog’s house thoughtfully. “That’s why I came early today.” Then he turned back to Bog and Marianne. “I apologize for the noise. You can’t build a house quietly, but we will be puttin’ up some sound barriers so it won’t be that bad. We will be workin’ 16-hour shifts from 6 in the mornin’ until 10 at night. We’ll keep the noise in between 7 and 9.”

“We can live with that.” Marianne nodded.

“If all goes well, we’ll have it done in two weeks.” Kyler grinned. “Should be move-in ready before the 18th.”

“Good.” Bog sighed. “My parents are driving me crazy. If ye come over, ye need to come to this house and not mine. Ye’ll regret going over there at the wrong time.”

“Good to know.” Kyler nodded. “If you could arrange for me to talk to your mom, let her know I know Emily is a Vanderian.”

“Vanderian?” Bog blinked at Kyler. “I’ll let mom know.”

*

Bog and Marianne stood across from each other in the Laird’s back yard. They were ten feet apart, facing each other and dressed in clothing that was too light for the chilly day. The sun was shining, but everything was cold. There were still little piles of snow in the darker corners of the yard. Bog was in sweatpants and a black tank top. Marianne was wearing a white tank top and shorts. 

Arawn walked around them with his staff in hand. “Bogdan, I want ye to throw up shields and block Marianne’s fire blasts. Marianne, ye need to do the best to hit him.”

“I don’t want to hurt him, Arawn.” Marianne scowled.

“Bah, he’ll heal.” Arawn gestured for Marianne to begin. “Or ye can practice yer healing on him. That would be good too.”

“I can do this.” Bog smirked at Marianne. “Don’t worry about it.” Arawn chuckled, continuing his walk around the pair. “Stop flirting and get to business.”

Marianne drew her hand up, and a ball of fire formed in her palm. Bog threw his hands forward, palms out to create a simple, transparent shield. She threw her fireball, and Arawn thrust his staff out at Bog’s shield, breaking it. The fireball smacked into Bog’s hands, exploding on contact, sending him crashing to the ground with a surprised yelp.

“Think faster,” Arawn grunted, twirling the staff while Bog patted his hands on the ground to put out the flames clinging to them. Marianne stared at Arawn. Bog scowled, healing his hands and rising back to his feet. “Yer never going tae be hit just by ONE thing at a time.”

“Again.” Bog prepared himself, keeping an eye on his father. Marianne created another fireball, and Arawn swept his staff into the back of her knees. The fireball exploded in her hands, catching her shirt on fire.

“Dad!” Bog yelled, lunging forward to help Marianne put out the fire. 

“I have it!” Marianne held a hand up to Bog, reclaiming the fire in her other hand. She scowled, looking down at the burned cloth that was showing quite a bit more of her chest than she wanted on display. She flicked her hand to dissipate the fire.

“Give me a moment.” Bog sighed, placing his hand over her chest without touching her. He mumbled an equation and swept his hand over the burned cloth, immediately restoring it to how it had been. “Ye weren’t burned, were ye?” He asked, withdrawing his hand.

“I’m fine.” Then she turned to Arawn and began yelling at him. “We’re just practicing! You don’t need to create actual scenarios, Arawn!”

“What’s the fun in that?” Arawn leaned on his staff and gave them both a lopsided smile. “This is how I taught ye everything ye know, Marianne.”

“In a training room. With fireproof gear!” Marianne scowled. Then she turned to grab Bog by the arm. “We’re done!”

“She said we’re done.” Bog smiled at his father.

“Git yer numpty butts back here.” Arawn snarled, walking after them. “Bogdan, ye need tae practice.”

“Maybe later.” Bog was pulled up the porch by a smiling Marianne. “I think it’s time to practice something else.” The two of them broke into a run to the back door, leaving Arawn fuming behind them. He stomped up the back steps, fully intent on dragging both of them back outside by their ears. 

Arawn’s phone rang, and he stopped on the porch to answer it. He spoke for a few minutes, then smiled. It was time to deal with the Roland situation.

*

“Roland’s meeting with the Kane’s tonight at 10 pm at a location north of Rock Castle,” Arawn told Bog. “I’ll be going up there to personally take care of him.

“Alone?” Bog scowled.

“I’ll take Titania.” Arawn nodded. “In case this is a setup, ye should stay here with Marianne.”

“Yeah.” Bog nodded slowly.

“I gotta go listen tae that Kyler lad now. Yer mom wants me to tae take a bigger role in dealing with issues here.” Arawn excused himself. He put a hand on Bog’s shoulder and looked at him quietly for a moment. “This will be over soon.”

“I hope so.” Bog scowled. 

*

Dawn danced to a song on the radio in the kitchen. She was washing and rinsing a small load of dishes in the sink. Sunny leaned in the doorway, his eyes fixed on his lovely wife. Marianne was outside on the front porch with Bog. Bog had been over so often, that Sunny and Dawn were finding they didn’t have any private time together at all. 

Sunny glanced at the front door, then he smiled and crept up behind Dawn.

“Sunny!” Dawn giggled as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind her and gave her a hug. Sunny pressed his face against Dawn’s shoulder and smiled.

“Marianne and Bog are outside, and I thought we could go have a little fun.” Sunny ran his hands down to Dawn’s hips. “And I’ll even finish the dishes.”

“Now that’s some sexy talk.” Dawn giggled, quickly drying her hands. She turned around and leaned over to wrap her arms over her shorter husband’s shoulders. Dawn tilted her head, then leaned in for a kiss. Sunny enthusiastically met her, pressing himself against her, whispering her name, telling her how beautiful she was, and beginning a relatively long description of what he wanted to do to her once they reached their room.

The front door opened, and Sunny groaned, pressing his face against Dawn’s chest in annoyance. Why did Bog and Marianne choose to come in now?

“Sunny,” Dawn whispered, stepping back. “We have company.” Sunny turned around to see two kids and Marianne standing behind them, giving Dawn and Sunny a ‘knowing’ look. Titania bounded through the kitchen with a Belgian Malinois bouncing after her. The dog only had her right ear.

“This is Harper and Mason,” Maria introduced the kids. Harper looked like she was maybe 12 or 13. She was fair-skinned with shoulder-length blond hair and dark blue eyes. Mason was considerably younger and darker complected with short auburn hair and green eyes. “And this is my sister Dawn and her husband, Sunny.”

Dawn had no problem switching gears and stepped forward. “Hello!” Sunny forced a smile and waved.

“There’s an emergency,” Marianne stated. “We need you to watch them until it’s resolved. Maybe make them something to eat and find a movie?”

“Or just TV!” Mason piped up. “We don’t have a tv, and I miss it!”

“Movies are fine too,” Harper added. “I have homework.”

“We can do that!” Dawn grinned cheerfully. Sunny frowned behind her. He wasn’t even a father yet, and children were interrupting his private time with his wife.

“I’m going to Bog’s house to see what they’re doing. We’ll probably be back here shortly.” Marianne waved and excused herself.

“This way to the den,” Dawn cheerily motioned to the door the two dogs had just gone through. The two kids looked at Dawn and Sunny curiously and did as they were told.

*

“Vampire?” Bog stared at Kyler as he delivered the news in the Laird’s living room. Zelda and Arawn were there as well, but it was Bog who looked completely freaked out by the news. “In Blackwood? We have to get everyone together as soon as -”

“No!” Kyler gestured for Bog to stop. “It’s Emily’s husband!”

“Wait, you, you, actually?” Bog looked completely confused. He was trying to work through what Kyler had told him before about Emily. “It’s impossible to be drawn to a married woman.”

“I thought he was dead. Emily thought he was dead.” Kyler ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Only he’s not. I don’t know if Johnathan knew before he died or not, but now he’s a vampire, and he tracked Emily down.”

“Oh.” Bog glanced at his parents. They were sitting nearby, paying attention to the conversation, but not adding anything.

“I am going to go back, talk to him, and try to get him to leave on his own.” Kyler laid out his plan. “Please let me try this first. If it doesn’t work, then we’ll attack.”

“I don’t like this. Ye’ll be tipping him off that we know.” Bog scowled. He much preferred dealing with this problem directly.

“I will not let him know about the town,” Kyler stated seriously. “Bog, let me try. We can’t just go in and kill Emily’s husband.”

“He’s not the same man she married, Kyler,” Zelda spoke up sympathetically. “It’s challenging for a vampire to hold onto their humanity. Especially if they have accepted that they are what they are. I can count on one hand the number of vampires who have managed it. Even then, the older they get, the colder they become.”

“Vampires are drawn ta power,” Arawn grunted, running a hand over his bearded chin. “That’s how they seek out their prey. This entire town is a feeding ground for him, and he’s probably already figured it out. Talking him inta leaving a massive food source like this may be impossible.”

“I can try.” Kyler looked at Arawn stubbornly. “I need to try. If I don’t, what kind of person am I?”

“A living one,” growled Arawn, folding his arms. 

Bog looked at Kyler thoughtfully. “Okay. I see it’s important to ye, and I get it. Yer not wanting it to come like yer getting rid of an obstacle between ye and Emily.”

“Yes.”

“Ye have two hours.” Bog scowled. “Then we go in and kill him.”

“Okay, there’s one more thing.” Kyler sighed and ran a hand over his chest, looking at Zelda, “I need someone to fix me.”

“Fix you?” Zelda stared at Kyler. “Nothing’s wrong with you that I can see.”

“I need you to break my draw to Emily. I’m sure you can. You can seal abilities and wipe minds. You can break me.” Kyler closed his eyes as he spoke.

“I don’t want to do something like that. I don’t even know if I can!” Zelda gasped and looked shocked. “Why would you want that, Kyler?! You love her!”

“I am broken. That’s the best way I can describe it.” Kyler winced, tapping his chest. “Everything is messed up inside. It started when I saw Jonathan. I’m in a lot of pain right now. The only thing I can think of to fix it is to remove my draw to Emily.”

“I don’t like this.” Zelda shook her head. “You should stand back and let Bog deal with him. You don’t need to be involved, Kyler.”

Kyler scowled. “I have to try to handle this myself first, for Emily and her kids. It’s worth taking away my love for her if they are safe.”

“I can do it. I’ve done it before.” Arawn stood up. All eyes moved to him.

“Why would you do something like that?” Zelda stared at her husband.

“Difference between putting down a rogue Lycean and being able ta let them go, Lass.” Arawn walked up to Bog. “I’ve done it six times. Ya see male Lyceans are the worst when they lose their mates. I had a theory that if I could sever their draw, they would recover their senses. It worked. It wasn’t pleasant, but it worked.”

Kyler stared up at Arawn, realization dawning on him. “You’re a Hunter?” He had assumed Arawn was a Lycean like Bog and Zelda. Now Kyler was terrified. The man had been scary before, but now Kyler couldn’t help but fear for his life.

“Relax, Lad,” Arawn clamped a hand on Kyler’s shoulder and mumbled a short equation. “How are ye walking around with that going on?” Arawn scowled. “He’s not kidding. His energy is messed up in a way that I’ve never seen. See what ye can make of it, Zelda.”

Before Kyler realized it, both Zelda and Bog had their hands on him, doing quick scans. “Oh, Kyler, this is awful. What happened to you isn’t normal. It should never have happened. How far did you go with Emily?”

“Just kissed her. A lot. Last night.” Kyler sighed. 

“It wouldn’t have been like this if you hadn’t.” Zelda scowled. “Your bond to Emily is twisted up with the fact she is married. Your senses do not understand how to deal with it, because we are never drawn to someone who is already taken. I don’t see any other way to fix this than what you want us to do. You need to be reset.”

“Agreed.” Arawn nodded quickly. “I’m going to need both of you to assist me. Last time I did this, the Lycean was out for 12 hours. It’s not pleasant.”

“I can’t lose 12 hours,” groaned Kyler. “Emily could be killed in that time.”

“Which is why I’m going to knock you out. One of them is going to handle your pain. The other is going to need to replace your lost energy.” Arawn glanced from Zelda to Bog. “Last time I did this, I didn’t have a couple of healing batteries there to assist.”

“Nice way to put it, Dad,” Bog made a face at him.

“Is it that difficult?” Kyler scowled. “Wipes and seals don’t take that long.”

“Kyler, that sense that draws you to the right woman, it’s wired into your entire being.” Arawn picked up Kyler’s left arm. “Let me demonstrate what it’s like and how much it’s going to hurt.” Before Kyler could protest, an arc of blue energy went from Arawn’s hand into Kyler’s arm. He yelped as the shock burned through his entire arm like it was traveling through his nerves. Momentarily, the pain was so intense that everything went white, and his arm was on fire, then it passed.

“Dad. Seriously.” Bog growled at his father. He had one hand gripping Kyler’s arm. There was a golden light where Bog’s hand was touching Kyler’s arm. He had stopped the pain. “Ye did that just cause ye could.”

“Wanted to get the point across that this is serious.” Arawn shrugged. “It’s like all yer nerves. I’ll be cutting it out of ye, like pulling out yer nerves.” Kyler grumbled, rubbing his arm. It still tingled.

“Do it.” Kyler had made his decision and clenched his jaw.

*

Kyler tried not to think about what was going to happen. They had decided the dining room would be the best place for Arawn to carry out the breaking. The table had been cleared, and the chairs moved aside. Kyler was lying on the table with his arms at his side and a cushion under his head.

“Oh good grief, is that what we’re having for dinner?” Marianne giggled, walking into the room. Kyler turned red with embarrassment at the comment.

“Marianne,” sighed Bog.

“Oh,” Marianne grimaced. “You’re about to do something?”

“Yeah, something awful.” Bog walked up to Marianne and gave her a quick hug. “So ye may not want ta watch.”

“Eh, she can help.” Arawn was rolling up his sleeves, getting ready. “Even if Marianne’s a novice, she still has a lot of energy she can give Kyler. We want him ta recover as fast as possible.”

“What are you doing?” Marianne looked at Kyler, clearly worried now. 

“Fixing him.” Bog shrugged.

“Ok, I’m going to make ye sleep.” Arawn stood next to Kyler, flexing his fingers. “Zelda is handling your pain. Bog and Marianne, yer going to say the equation I give ye. It will let Kyler’s body draw energy from yers to heal what I’m taking out of him. If ye feel faint, let go.” Zelda and Bog stood on the other side of Kyler. Marianne stood next to Arawn. “Sleep.” Arawn touched Kyler’s head, and he immediately went out. “Start now. Say this.” Arawn uttered a short equation. Bog and Marianne repeated it, Marianne with both hands on Kyler’s arm and Bog doing the same to his other arm.

Arawn placed one hand on Kyler’s forehead and the other on his chest and began speaking a series of equations. Kyler was completely out, but he was in some pain as the process started. Zelda seemed to be having trouble controlling it.

“Ugh, this is like chasing a rabbit.” Zelda scowled, shifting her position and quickly speaking more equations.

“Try doing it alone,” Arawn grumbled. “And that was for common Lyceans. Yer friend is an Eximius. This is harder.” They kept it up for fifteen more minutes, then Arawn stepped back. “I’m done.” He spoke the same words he had given Bog and Marianne. “Remember this equation. It might save someone’s life.” 

They stood for another five minutes, then Marianne let go and swayed like she was dizzy. “Marianne?” Bog looked at her in concern, then let go and walked around the table to steady her.

“I just need a moment.” Marianne made a face as Bog helped her to a chair.

“It’s fine. We’re done.” Arawn stepped back and touched Kyler’s head. “Wake.” Kyler laid there for a moment, grimacing. Then he sat up with a sigh, running his hand over his face and into his hair. “How do ye feel, Kyler?”

“Groggy, but I’m not hurting now.” Kyler sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping forward. “I feel normal. I feel like I did when I was wiped.” He closed his eyes and looked sad.

“What did you do to him?” Marianne whispered to Bog. He turned and wrapped his arms Marianne.

“That thing that brought me to ye,” Bog whispered back, glancing at Kyler, “We had to break it between him and his girl.”

“Oh.” Marianne’s eyes widened.

“I’ll explain why later. Right now, Kyler has a job to do and a time limit.” Bog turned back to Kyler. “If yer ready, ye should get going.”

“I’m ready.” Kyler slid off the table and stretched, attempting to clear the grogginess from his mind. “Two hours.”

Arawn reached out and grabbed Kyler by the shoulder. “Lad, I never did this to someone who had a living mate. I don’t know what’ll happen when ye see yer woman. It may return. It may not. I don’t know. I assume that it’s temporary. What ye wanted was a brave thing, because it carries so much personal risk.”

“I didn’t do it to be brave,” grumbled Kyler. “I did it because it had to be done for the woman I love.” Then he sighed, his forehead wrinkling in sadness. “Or did. I don’t feel anything now when I think about her.”

“Good luck.” Arawn nodded his head, letting Kyler go. Arawn pulled up a chair and sat down, listening for Kyler leaving the house.

“I’ll make some tea.” Zelda sighed. “And put a lot of honey in it.”

“We got another problem.” Arawn grumbled, stopping her in her tracks. “There are two Arcadian Hunters arriving in Blackwood at any time. They filed papers to do an investigation. They’re looking inta reports of a Solar Draconis and put Kyler Brennan’s name on the papers.”

“What?” Bog stared at his father. “Who could have given them that kind of information?”

“I’m going to say it’s Harper Winters since her name was mentioned as the one who was asking questions about them,” Arawn stated. “So we’re going ta go over and have a wee chat with them.”

“They’re just kids,” Marianne stated. “You’re not going to do anything to them, are you?”

“Put a little fear into them, sure.” Arawn gave Marianne a lopsided grin. “It won’t hurt them ta know what kind of danger they can be in if they give information ta tha wrong person.” 

“I don’t know if I’m going to cooperate with this.” Marianne folded her arms and glared at Arawn.

“They brought hunters into Blackwood.” Arawn rose to his feet. “We’re going to teach them a lesson they’ll never forget, then I’ll take care of the hunters.”

Marianne glared at Bog, “Aren’t you going to stop him?”

“Do ye seriously think I can?” Bog grimaced.

*

Kyler left the house feeling down. He knew he still loved Emily, but it was a different kind of love. All his physical and emotional desires were gone, leaving only the memories of love. Kyler didn’t feel the overpowering need to be with her. He only wanted her to be safe. She was just another person in Blackwood who he needed to protect. He still had all his memories and knew he loved her. His head had strong opinions, but his heart wasn’t following. It was confusing. Arawn had done a thorough job and it had left a pit of nothingness where his physical and emotional desires should have been.

And it made him sad. He had a job to do, and he was going to see it through. It would be much easier now that he didn’t have any distractions. Kyler went over the discussion he needed to have with Jonathan. Everyone in Blackwood was taught what to do if they ever met a Vampire. It didn’t matter that one had never entered their town, the possibility was always there.

Kyler was almost to his truck when Fudge joined him, gliding from the top of Bog’s home to land on his head. “Going home now?”

“Yeah. Where have you been? Spying all over the neighborhood?” Kyler smiled, reaching up to dislodge the animal from his hair. 

“Best spy!” Fudge stated proudly.

“I’ve got an important job for you, Fudge.” Kyler opened the door and set the little dragon down on the seat. “You’re gonna need to talk to your mother and give her a message.”

“What’s the message?” Fudge sat up and looked at Kyler curiously as he started the truck.

*

Dawn was busy cleaning up the mess she had made in the kitchen. She’d made a whole pile of grilled cheese sandwiches. Sunny was sitting in the living room, watching the two kids. They were all watching a movie on TV. Dawn sang a cheerful little song as she brought in some empty cans from the den and tossed them in the trash, then she grabbed a broom.

There was a loud pounding on the front door. “I’ll get it!” Dawn bounced out of the room with a smile. She opened the door without a second thought to find Arawn standing there. He stood, fully decked out in black plated hunter armor, and a well worn black leather duster. He grinned at her and waved.

“Arawn’s got something to do.” Bog leaned into the door frame, whispering to Dawn.

“This is going to be awful.” Marianne groaned, trying to keep quiet. Arawn stormed past a started Dawn, stomping as loudly as he could through the house. Bog and Marianne stepped inside quietly, with Zelda trailing them. “Harper had some questions, and she sent emails out on the library computers to some paranormal groups,” Marianne explained to her sister. Loud shouting came from the den. “There are two hunters who are in Blackwood right now or coming in soon to investigate.”

“Oh, no!” Dawn gasped, lifting her hands to her mouth. She turned and frowned, walking back to the den with her broom in hand. The yelling was getting louder. Then the house actually shook. Dawn darted through the door and smacked Arawn on the back of the head with the bristled end of her broom.

“Arawn!” Dawn yelled. “Stop scaring the kids!” She glanced at them, noting Harper pressed up against the corner of the couch with her brother, both of them in tears. Her own husband stared at Arawn in horror.

“Hey! Stop hitting me!” Arawn turned to Dawn with a crooked smile. He smacked at the broom with his staff. Dawn flipped it around and hit him with the wooden end on the shoulder, then she jabbed at his gut. Arawn laughed and effortlessly smacked her away with the broad head of his staff.

The kids stared in complete bewilderment. Sunny peeked between his fingers, shaking more than the kids.

Bog, Marianne, and Zelda filed into the room behind Dawn. Harper’s face was white as she looked at them, then she burst into tears again. “I just wanted to know more!”

“She didn’t mean any harm!” Mason added defensively.

Arawn opened his hand, and the staff vanished back to where it’d come from. He strode up to the two kids and knelt before them. He spoke in a gentler tone, but still stern. “Do ye realize ye could get people killed by askin’ questions from tha wrong people or places? I know the two of ye have only known the human world, but if yer going tae live here, ye have tae understand. Everyone is responsible fer everyone else’s safety. Yer own included.”

“Now, ye two need to listen tae me.” Arawn reached out to wipe away Harper’s tears. She was looking at him fearfully and still crying with intermittent choking sounds. “I am an Arcadian. I’m going tae fix the wee problem ye created here, but ye can never do it again. Ye have questions, ask Kyler.” Then Arawn reached up to lay his hand on Harper’s head. He said a few words, then did the same for Mason. 

Arawn stood up and gestured to the kids, “Go outside, we’re going tae see what ye can do with yer abilities. Yer one of us now.”

“Arcadians hunt Lyceans and Atlanteans.” Mason stared at Arawn.

“Aye, they do.” Arawn nodded. “I do when I have tae. The world’s more complicated than Arcadians are bad. Lyceans are monsters. And Atlanteans are weak. Arawn kicked Sunny’s chair as he walked past it. Sunny jumped and made a face at him.

“Ye got off easy,” Bog motioned for the kids to follow Arawn. “Last lesson he gave me set me on fire.” Marianne made an embarrassed giggling noise.

Sunny dove in front of his wife to stop her from following everyone else out into the backyard. “We have dishes to do!” He called out.

“Uh, yeah. Dishes.” Dawn giggled, leaning down to kiss her husband.

*

Harper wasn’t sure what to think of Arawn as he paid particular attention to instructing her. She wasn’t able to shake the image of how he’d come into the room. This man was probably the most terrifying man she had ever met. And he didn’t even turn into a giant tooth filled werewolf.

“When we break yer mom’s seal, she’ll be able to do this better than we can. Ye don’t have the same abilities we do.” Arawn kept a hand on Harper’s shoulder. He was reading her energy and directing her. Right now, she had a small plasma ball floating over her hands. Mason was standing nearby with Bog and his mother assisting him. So far, he was having a difficult time doing anything.

“Do away with the ball. Yer going to be stronger and faster than ye were. That’s going to take time ta get used ta.” Arawn knelt and picked up a handful of dirt. “I want ya ta look at this and form a doll out of it with yer mind.”

“I can’t do that!” Harper laughed.

“Try.”

Harper stared at the dirt, and nothing happened. Then she clenched her fists and concentrated harder, thinking about what she wanted. The soil shifted and moved into a rough representation of what she was thinking. Arawn grinned, putting the little swirling figure onto the ground.

“Now, tell it ta stand, using these words,” Arawn spoke a single word. “Stabit.”

Harper looked at him curiously, then repeated the word. The figure rose upright, and Harper gasped.

“This is alchemy.” Arawn motioned to the figure. “Yer special ability is creating automatons or golems. Ye can program them ta do whatever ye like and make them out of anything non-living. I think ye can make them out of plants too. They’re like puppets that ye control. This is a very dangerous thing, Harper. Ye will have to be careful who sees ye can do this.”

Mason scowled at his sister. He wasn’t getting anything out of his hands like she did. Bog stood by thoughtfully with his mother. “Yer trying to do the wrong thing.” Bog suddenly laughed. “First thing we learn how to do is create, so why don’t ye try making something like your sister did.”

“I don’t want to play with dolls!” Mason groaned dramatically, then he knelt and scooped up a pile of rocks and dirt in his hands. The boy leaned over the pile and stared at it, moving his hands around it like he was forming it without touching it. “That’s the way to do it.” Bog knelt next to him to watch. The rocks and dirt began shifting, then did the same thing that it did for Harper. The dirt swirled around into a humanoid form. It was small, but it held together. “Stabit!” Mason laughed as the figure did what it was told to and stood upright. “This is amazing! Where do I get more words?!”

“These run on Latin, but ye can usually make yer own words if ye want te.” Arawn looked over and nodded. Bog got up and walked up to his mother. 

Bog leaned over to Zelda and whispered, “I was a little worried he wasn’t going to take after his mom.”

“Yeah.” Zelda nodded back with a frown. “Not sure what we would have done in that case.”

*

Half an hour later, Sunny finished the dishes in the kitchen. There was a knock at the front door. Dawn answered it, and Sunny looked up to see Kyler Brennan walk through the kitchen with Dawn behind him. He nodded to Sunny and passed through to the backdoor, with Dawn still following him in concern.

Sunny stared after them for a moment. Kyler’s white shirt was stained with blood in two distinctive spots in the front. Whatever happened, Sunny wanted no part of it. He sighed and took longer than necessary to dry the plate in his hand. Then he took his time putting everything away.

*

The back door opened, and Kyler walked out of the house with Dawn. The red spots on his white shirt were evident to everyone. “Ye got something on yer shirt, Kyler.” Bog began walking up to him.

“Already took care of it.” Kyler glanced down at his shirt. “So, yeah, we’re all going to have to go out there.”

“He shot ye? He’s armed?” Arawn scowled.

“Actually, Emily shot me.” Kyler sighed, glancing at Harper and Mason.

“Mom shot you?!” Harper gaped at Kyler. “Why?”

“She saw me in that hybrid form I showed you.” Kyler shook his head. “But I sent Fudge in with a message to get to Emily. If he does it right, it may help open her eyes to what’s going on.”

“Could we help?” Mason asked as he and Harper joined Kyler.

“We want to help if we can.” Harper added.

“Naw.” Arawn put an arm out to push the two kids back. “We don’t allow children into situations where they could be killed. This is a particularly dangerous one.”

“But what about Mom?” Harper persisted. “You’re making it sound like this vampire is controlling her!”

“In a way, he is.” Kyler scowled. “But you can’t help in this case. If you could, you could come. For now, you need to be safe. We can handle this.”

“Who’s coming?” Arawn scowled. “The more numbers we have, the better. Kyler, did you get any kind of show of his abilities?”

“Sunlight doesn’t affect him, so light-based weapons are useless. He’s fast and strong, but I think he’s a common weaker bloodline.” Kyler began filling in the information, careful not to say Jonathan’s name in front of the kids. “Because he doesn’t know anything about alchemy, he didn’t seem capable of using it. I don’t know if the seal on Emily carries over to a vampire feeding, but he didn’t seem to have any of her abilities.”

“I’m coming.” Bog and Marianne stated simultaneously.

“Me too,” Zelda joined in. “If I can, I’m going to see if I can unseal Emily while I’m there. It may not turn out well, but this is ridiculous! She needs to know what’s going around her to keep safe. She should have realized what he was.”

“Get yer gear and let’s go.” Arawn scowled, giving the order. 

“Arawn, I ran into two hunters when I was leaving. They let me go, but I suspect they’ll still be in the area.” Kyler stepped up to Arawn as he walked up the steps. “You might want to call them off. They’ll get in the way.”

“Aye.” Arawn nodded, reaching into his pocket. “I’ll take care of them.” 

*

Arawn scowled as he waited in front of Bog’s home for the rest of the group to get outside so they could leave. He was on the phone with Deana Remington, and she had just told him the worst thing possible. She and her sister had engaged with Jonathan and injured him. “Look, I want ye two out of the area. I’m bringing in a crew ta take care of the problem. Ye need ta leave.”

“We already did most of the work. We can take him down.” Deana stated on the other end of the phone. “He keeps coming in and out of his house. We’ll catch him.”

“Stand down. We aren’t going to claim the reward. We’ll let ye have it.” Arawn commanded gruffly. “He’s a new vampire. What yer doing could endanger the woman inside, if ye haven’t already.”

“We’ll get inside that house in a few minutes.”

“Stand down, if ye don’t want yer licenses and access ta yer contracts revoked.” Arawn used the best punishment at his disposal. Young hunters rarely talked back to him. He knew about these two and just how annoying they could be. 

They didn’t like following the rules. On the one hand, that was a good thing, because, like him, they had a tendency to cut loose some of their targets. However, they saw him as an authority figure to be defied. “Stand down,” Arawn repeated. There was silence on the other end of the line for a few minutes.

“We’re pulling back,” Deana grumbled. “How far?”

“Back to Rock Castle. I’ll contact ye tomorrow morning about the reward.” Arawn hung up when he finished speaking. This situation was now far more dangerous than it had been.

*

A few minutes passed, then Bog, Marianne, and Zelda hurried through the kitchen. Sunny noticed how they almost ran through. Then Arawn and Kyler passed through. Sunny dried his hands and waited. Everyone was gone, and that left him and Dawn with the kids.

The kids. Sunny froze and stared at the door, realizing they were stuck with the kids ALONE again. With a groan, he slumped against the counter. It wasn’t that he didn’t like children, it was a lifetime spent around Arcadian children, trying to avoid letting them know he was Atlantean.

The teasing that Sunny endured as a child left its mark. He embraced a cheerful attitude to deal with them. Arcadians had a tendency to pick at kids who showed fear, but someone who was happy to joke with them and showed no worries was embraced. Sunny figured that out quickly and then found Dawn.

Dawn gravitated to him, and they became best friends from the start. Sunny smiled at the thought of those early days when he was just glad to have a good friend. Dawn was the one who helped Sunny fit in. She didn’t care that he was a little different from her. She accepted him as equal and not lesser.

Sunny took a deep breath. These children were not Arcadian. He put on a smile and walked out the back door stopping on the porch. These children were not Arcadian, and they weren’t Lycean or Atlantean. They were something else. Dawn stood between Harper and Mason. They were both on their knees with little humanoid figures made out of grass and stones moving in front of them like puppets.

“Scirto!” Dawn stated. “It means dance!” The kids repeated the word, and the figures immediately began dancing. Sunny stared. Alchemy was always exciting to watch. Your own character fed into it on top of your emotions and your bloodline. 

The two kids were brother and sister, yet their puppets were dancing in entirely different ways. Harper’s figure danced like a ballerina. Mason’s appeared to be doing something that looked more like martial arts. Dawn clapped her hands and looked up at her husband. “All those years of Latin are finally paying off!”

Sunny smiled at his wife. “Want me to order pizza for dinner?”

“Maybe wait an hour.” Dawn grinned.

*

It was growing dark when Kyler, Bog, Arawn, Marianne, and Zelda left their vehicles. They entered the forest a mile from the Winters’ house. Kyler was not happy with the plan to corner Jonathan and kill him permanently. He was bothered by the fact that he had been a good man at one time. One probably better than Kyler had ever been. Now, the five of them were going to hunt him down and kill him. Kyler felt it would be either Arawn or Zelda who would end up with that job. Bog maybe. Kyler knew that Bog had never killed anyone and didn’t really want to.

“Shift into whatever form you’re going to fight in,” Zelda stated to Bog and Kyler. “I’m giving everyone an hour-long protection against being bitten by a vampire.”

“Party buff,” chuckled Bog to Kyler. Kyler returned a thin smile.

“One hour, unless you shift, then it removes it,” Zelda added. Bog shifted to his hybrid form, and Kyler followed. Bog was taller than Kyler as he stood upright. Kyler was several inches shorter but made up for it with more bulk. 

Arawn was wearing the same armor and black leather duster that he was wearing earlier. Marianne was wearing similar armor and had a sword belt strapped around her hip. “I can’t believe you brought me armor.” Marianne scowled at Arawn.

“But I bet yer glad I thought of it?” Arawn smirked, checking the guns strapped to the cross-body holsters over his chest plate. “Remember, he’s going to be fast. I’m the only one who’s going to be using guns, so we don’t have any accidents. We gotta corner him and get him down. Separate the head from the body, and he dies immediately.” Then he turned to Marianne. “Hunters prayer, Marianne.”

“Fiat voluntas dei,” stated Marianne solemnly.

“Fiat voluntas dei,” repeated Arawn, then he rolled his eyes at Marianne. “Next time, the long version.”

“Ugh, I told you, I don’t remember it.” Marianne made a face. 

Bog scowled in their direction. “I can’t believe ye do that before ye murder people.”

“It’s fer us, not them,” shrugged Arawn walking up to Zelda. She had shifted into a similar form as Bog and Kyler. Whereas her son was a black-furred wolf, she was red, the same shade as her hair had been. Zelda was the smallest of the three Lyceans, but no less deadly looking. 

“Bog.” Arawn glared up at him.

“Fiat voluntas dei.” Bog rolled his eyes and growled out the words.

“Go on ahead and get into position.” Arawn waved Kyler and Bog off. The pair of them dropped to all fours and vanished into the darkness. They headed in opposite sides of the Winters’ home.

Zelda spoke her words, touching Arawn, then did the same for Marianne. “Remember, I’m going to try to get to Emily and unseal her. When I do, who knows what will happen.”

“Right.” Marianne nodded. “I’m to stay within Arawn’s sight.”

“Aye,” Arawn brought a hand down on Marianne’s shoulder, hard enough to send her stagging forward. “Benediximus!”

“I’m not sure if armor is a good thing or a bad thing.” Marianne sighed. 

“Ye’ll be thankful for it,” Arawn smirked, striding forward.

*

Kyler slunk through the trees that surrounded the Winters’ house. He could smell the two hunters that had been there before, as well as Jonathan and Emily. It didn’t take him long to cross a fresh scent trail that led away from the house. Kyler passed over it, nose in the air and ears swiveling from side to side. His perception could only pick up on Emily inside the house and his friends. Jonathan was out of range.

Bog appeared in the opposite direction. Kyler stood up and let himself be seen, then gestured for Bog to join him. The larger black-furred Lycean cautiously stalked to him. “Jonathan’s not here,” Kyler stated. “Someone needs to get Emily out of the house.”

“I’ll see if Marianne or Mom can do it.” Bog nodded, looking into the darkening forest. “I don’t want us dropping our protection. We need to be on guard.” Bog walked past Kyler. “Keep yer sense on, Kyler.”

“I’ll be the first to know when he comes close.” Bog nodded, turning his attention back to the forest where he assumed Jonathan had gone.

*

Emily was inside the living room, with half a dozen servant dragons following her. Fudge was sitting on her shoulder. “You need to go outside.” Fudge repeated the message that had come from the others. They were all saying go outside, and they’re here.

“Who’s here?” Emily pushed aside the curtain to look outside. She couldn’t see anything in the front yard. Nothing was moving within the area of the porch light.

“Help.” The little dragons started speaking eagerly. Emily looked down at the small creatures. She was trying to keep herself calm but was overwhelmed by everything going on. She was holding the pistol that Jonathan left her. It made her feel more secure. The fact that she was surrounded by creatures that were far stronger than her made her hesitate. She wasn’t sure if she could trust anyone at the moment.

Zelda appeared out of the darkness, walking toward the house. Emily watched her. She didn’t look like someone that should be wandering around in the dark alone. To Emily’s eyes, she was a petite woman under 5 feet tall, with pale skin and a mass of red curls. She was in a dark green sweater and black pants. Emily let the curtain go and took a deep breath when Zelda reached her porch.

Emily went to the door to open it. She didn’t feel like she should be afraid. This woman was much smaller than she was. Emily held the gun behind her back and held the door open a crack. “Who are you?” She whispered hesitantly.

“Zelda Laird. Can you come outside, Emily?” Zelda waited to be invited in.

Emily closed her eyes and held the door for a moment, then she opened it. Several of the dragons spilled out around her feet and circled Zelda.

“Oh, those are adorable.” Zelda laughed, then held a hand out to Emily, “You need to come outside, Dear.”

“I don’t know.” Emily bit her lower lip, leaning out the door and looking into the darkness.

“I’m not alone.” Zelda nodded. “We know what’s going on, and we’re here to get you out before your husband returns.”

“I don’t want you to kill him,” Emily stated, stepping out onto the porch. “Please, promise me you won’t kill him.”

“I can’t make that promise.” Zelda shook her head, turning to walk off the porch, “Come with me out in the yard, and you’ll understand.”

“You’re going to unseal me?” Emily wasn’t sure she wanted it.

“Yes, and I need to it quickly, so you’ll stop asking me questions.” Zelda took Emily’s hand and pulled her down the steps. “Hurry.” Emily didn’t see anyone else but got the impression she was being watched. “Your kids are safe, by the way. Kyler brought them to our home to keep them out of this.”

“Thank you.” Emily felt terrible. She had been so worried about what was going on, she had lost track of time. 

“This is good enough.” Zelda turned and held her hand up. “You’re going to need to lean down so I can reach your head. It will only take a moment. Remember that you can control yourself.” Emily sighed and leaned forward, placing her hands on her knees. She closed her eyes. 

Zelda put her hand on Emily’s head and said a short series of words that Emily couldn’t understand. Something seemed to lift off her, and Emily felt the ground move. “Control yourself.” Zelda took a step back. Emily rocked back on her heels for a moment. The ground around her was still moving, rippling, and breaking. “Emily,” Zelda repeated. “Control yourself. The first rule we all learn, do not use abilities you have not practiced. Do not let it free.”

“I’ve got it.” Emily shook her head, and it stopped. She clenched and unclenched her fists. Then wiggled her fingers, forming orbs around her. “I’ve got it!”

A short sharp bark came from somewhere nearby. “He’s here.” Zelda grabbed Emily’s hand. “We need to leave now.”

“No!” Emily jerked her hand out of Zelda’s. “You can not kill him!” She yelled into the darkness. Zelda shifted back into her hybrid form and growled into the night.

*

Kyler had to move out of the way as quietly as possible after detecting Jonathan’s emotions coming in range. He was approaching at a run, and Kyler could feel every emotion Jonathan was giving off. He had an intense sensation of fear and worry around him. Jonathan wasn’t worried about himself. He feared for Emily. Kyler remained still when Jonathan passed within twenty feet of where he was hidden.

They were going to close in around him, and Kyler was going to drive him there. He stalked after Jonathan, picking up speed even though his heart wasn’t in it. Kyler had a job to do. Bog lunged out of the darkness ahead of Kyler from one side, going for Jonathan with a snarl. Blackwood’s king meant business, his hackles raised along his massive shoulders and down his back.

Jonathan yelled, barely dodging the snapping teeth and the swipe of a clawed hand. Kyler snarled, making sure Jonathan knew there were two of them. Then he and Bog kept a short distance behind the vampire and off to the side. They were driving him forward and toward the front side of the house.

This would be over soon.

*

More werewolves? Jonathan had wandered in the trees around the house for a short time before he had felt the need to return. He didn’t intend to go inside, he just wanted to be near Emily. After being attacked twice, the oncoming darkness wasn’t a comfort. Neither was the hunger he hadn’t managed to ease. He had run out of bullets while trying to get to the hunters and dropped the clip of refills.

Jonathan felt like he was much more afraid than he should have been for being a vampire. These creatures knew more about himself than he did. They were terrifying. Jonathan wasn’t prepared when he reached the front yard and saw Emily. A red werewolf towered over her, snapping her jaws.

All he saw was his wife in a dangerous situation. With a snarl, he lunged forward, dropping the gun. He had a purpose, and if he were lucky, he would get to feed. He was so hungry. Feeding on Emily seemed to have stoked his hunger and something drew him to the creature behind her, an entirely new thirst.

“Jonathan!” Emily heard him coming and threw up her hands, trying to get him to stop. “Get back! They’re going to kill you!” Zelda dropped to a crouch next to Emily and snarled. The air was filled with growls and snarling, but that’s not what stopped Jonathan.

He was ten feet away when a bolt of blue lightning struck him and knocked him into the front of the house. Arawn charged forward, wielding his staff. Marianne was right beside him, her sword engulfed in flames. 

“Don’t kill him!” Emily screamed, throwing orbs into the ground in front of Marianne and Arawn. They erupted into flames, and Emily was going to do more, but Zelda lunged forward. She grabbed Emily, slapping a hand over her mouth.

“We are trying to save you, Emily!” Zelda picked her up and started walking backward. Jonathan was on his feet, focused only on his wife. He went for Zelda. The moment he was in the open, Bog charged in to attack Jonathan from the back. Bog snarled and lunged, only to have Kyler crash into him, knocking him to the ground.

“Stop!” Kyler snarled, bouncing off of a furious Bog and running to get between Jonathan and Zelda. “Stop!” He repeated. “Everyone, stop where you are!”

Jonathan glared at Kyler, “Get out of my way!” 

Bog scowled at Kyler, baring his teeth in warning. He was close enough that he could reach Jonathan in one bound. Marianne and Arawn were also close enough that any one of them could hit Jonathan. No matter which way he went, Jonathan was trapped. They had him.

“Do not kill him,” Emily repeated, fighting her way out of Zelda’s arms. “Please! He was adopted! He had no idea!” 

Jonathan looked around and realized he wasn’t getting out of this. He could put up a fight, but it would be futile. These people were on a completely different level. He looked at Emily and fell to his knees. “I’m sorry. I never wanted this to happen! Emily! I’m sorry!” Then he began crying, overwhelmed by the impossible situation he was in. Everyone stared, unsure of what to do. Taking care of a problem in Blackwood usually didn’t end with the problem begging for its life.

Their problem was just a man who had been raised in a world where monsters were entertainment and myth. They didn’t actually walk the Earth. Worse, this was a man who had fought real-life monsters among men and thought he was one of the good guys. Now? He was so small in a world he didn’t know anymore.

“I needed you to stop because we need to do something else,” Kyler growled, shifting into human form. “Stay back, Emily. I don’t want him to die either. We don’t want to tempt Jonathan into losing what little control he has.”

“He’s a vampire.” Arawn wasn’t moved in the least. He took a step closer, brandishing his staff. “He’s killed and fed on innocent people, and he will continue killing! I have no problem taking care of him.”

“He was a good man.” Kyler frowned at the Hunter. “This isn’t right. He didn’t even know he would become a vampire.”

“He’s. Killed.” Arawn scowled, stamping his staff into the ground.

“You don’t understand what it was like!” Jonathan took a deep breath. “I died, and there was nothing but darkness. Then I woke up and couldn’t even think. I had to dig myself out, and then, I did things I would never have dreamed of. I did not enjoy it! It was awful, then I remembered my family. It’s all I wanted. My family.”

“Aye, standard for all vampires.” Arawn rolled his eyes. 

“I just wanted to be back with my family. That’s all I wanted.” Jonathan repeated, staring at Emily. “I don’t want to die again. I don’t want to go back to that darkness.”

“That’s not how it works,” Arawn came closer. “Let me tell ye about vampires, lad. Vampires are the result of a trapped soul. We do ye the service of severing yer head from yer shoulders, and it’s over. Ye go on ta wherever it was ye should have gone in the first place. Yer life after ye died shouldn’t affect yer soul. Ye ain’t connected to it anymore. It’s just there. Trapped.”

“I don’t want to die,” Jonathan repeated. “I did so many awful things in a short time. I feel so guilty.”

Kyler scowled. The reason he had stopped everyone was that he could feel Jonathan’s anguish, guilt, and regret. Jonathan was terrified. Kyler wasn’t convinced that Arawn was right and didn’t want to take the chance. “Is there anythin’ else we can do? How do you know what you’re sayin’ is true, Arawn?”

“I know I’m dangerous, and I can’t be trusted right now, but please, don’t kill me.” Jonathan began pleading again. “I know I’m not the same as I was before, but I’m trying! I didn’t feed on Emily after you came here, Kyler.” Jonathan turned his attention to him. “I am willing to try!”

Arawn scowled from Jonathan to Kyler. He really didn’t know. It was all theories. It was the reason that Arcadians had destroyed Lycea, to begin with. Lyceans were meddling in things they should not have been. These abominable things were ingrained deeply within Arawn as something to be destroyed.

“I don’t really want to kill him,” Bog grumbled, shifting. “Is he telling the truth, Kyler?”

“Yes.” Kyler frowned.

“I don’t want to kill him either,” sighed Marianne, running a hand over her sword. The flames dissipated. 

“Bunch of weak-willed, soft-hearted eejits,” Arawn snarled. “Ye can’t keep a vampire like it’s a pet! What are we going ta do with him? Toss him into a pit with a Bible and let him work on his redemption while dropping a few rats down to him daily?!” Arawn turned his attention to his wife. “And ye?”

“He’s just so sad!” Zelda burst into tears. Arawn scowled at her. Lyceans. Bring up family, and they melted into emotional puddles of sympathy.

“Am I the ONLY one here who understands that vampires need to die?” Arawn took another step, brandishing his staff.

“Dad.” Bog frowned. “We have the private prison that will hold him. The one that’s near the farmhouse.” Arawn made a frustrated, groaning noise. He turned around, swinging his staff and kicking at the dirt.

“Jonathan barely got to live his life,” Emily stated. “And in that short time, he saved hundreds of lives. Everyone he served with. People who might have stepped on all the mines he marked and had disarmed. If he can be locked up for a time to get his hunger under control, then he deserves it.”

“I agree.” Kyler nodded. “He died trying to save people. He did not choose this.” Arawn scowled. This, he could respect.

“Okay, but ye don’t know how long it’s going to take. Nobody knows how long it takes for a young vampire to get their bloodlust under control.” Arawn finally relented. “I suppose we can look at this as a research experiment. Where are ye going to get blood to feed him? Ye have to be careful with what he gets.”

“I’m sure we can find volunteers.” Zelda grinned. “I’ll take care of it.”

Arawn reached down with his free hand and grabbed Jonathan by the back of his shirt. He hauled him to his feet and grumbled, “Say what ye want to yer wife, ye most likely won’t be seeing her for a long time. There will be no conjugal visits.”

“She’s not my wife anymore,” Jonathan sighed, looking from Emily to Kyler, then back again. “I did die, and our marriage ended then. I love you, Emily, but you should go on with your life like I never came back. I think you’ve picked a great man.” He looked at Kyler gratefully, fully realizing he had a chance at life again, thanks to him.

Kyler nodded. “I knew you were still a good man.”

“Come on, ‘Good Man.’” Arawn lifted a hand. “I’m going to make you sleep while we are transporting you. I’m not taking any risk ye might change yer mind.” 

“Wait! Emily, can I please get pictures of Harper and Mason?” Jonathan glanced up at the impatient Hunter. “They’re my kids. I haven’t seen them in over a year!”

“Hurry up.” Arawn snapped at Emily. “I have places I need to be tonight.”

“I’ll be right back!” Emily ran to the house.

*

Kyler sat on the porch steps and watched Emily say goodbye to her husband. Bog had come by to inform him that next time he had a party, he got a free shot to punch Kyler in the face for jumping on him. Marianne had smacked Bog in the shoulder and warned him he better not. Kyler smiled, watching the pair of them walk away, arguing playfully. He envied them.

Bog and Marianne were lucky. They were together, and it was clear how much they loved each other. Zelda came by to say a few words of encouragement. Kyler had nodded, unable to take them in. She wouldn’t understand. Like the others, Zelda was a Lycean who lived on love and being in love. She had her cold, stone-hearted, Hunter husband. Kyler was a little confused about how that worked.

As for Kyler, he was waiting for everyone to leave so he could say goodbye to Emily. He hadn’t felt anything at any point in the evening. He had done his job, and he was sad because he could remember how he felt before. It was gone. Everything was gone. Given what had happened, he expected a very awkward goodbye. 

Deep down, the worst part was what Jonathan had said about him and Emily. Kyler couldn’t see anything happening between them. 

*

“Kyler.” Everyone was leaving, and Emily walked up to him, “Marianne said you’d take me to pick up Harper and Mason.”

“Yeah,” Kyler nodded, rising to his feet. He walked past Emily.” Let’s go get them. I’m sure they’d like to know you’re safe and come home. I have to get them cleared in their schools tomorrow so they can begin learnin’ the right things.”

“Kyler,” Emily reached for his arm. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothin’s wrong.” Kyler smiled. “Let’s go.” Emily walked after him, rubbing her arms nervously.

*

Harper and Mason wanted to know about vampires. There was a vampire in Blackwood. Sunny and Dawn attempted to explain in a way that wouldn’t frighten them. Dawn cheerfully told them that Arawn was an experienced Hunter, and he would take care of the vampire.

That led to the kids asking about Arcadians and why Arawn, who was really scary to them, was a good Hunter. Dawn smiled at them and told them that she was an Arcadian. The kids were fascinated to hear all about Arcadians and then Atlanteans from Sunny. Gradually, everyone relaxed, and a little over an hour later, Kyler returned with the kid’s mother to pick them and their dog up.

They were assured the vampire had been taken care of, and no one was hurt. Kyler didn’t know where the others were but assumed they would be returning home soon. That left Sunny and Dawn with Titania. A little later, a very cranky Arawn showed up and took Titania out on his mission. He mentioned that they shouldn’t expect Marianne back until later. Bog had taken her and his mother out for dinner.

It was one of the few evenings that Sunny and Dawn had an evening completely alone. Sunny locked the door and smiled at his wife. “You know what.” Sunny’s smile widened. “I think we did a good job.”

“They were nice kids.” Dawn giggled.

“And now that they’re gone.” Sunny walked up to his wife and wrapped his arms around her. “I think we should have some playtime.”

“I’m all for that!” Dawn leaned down and kissed Sunny. “I love you, Sunny.” She pulled away for a moment, then kissed him again.

“Mmmm,” Sunny gently pushed his wife toward the couch. She sat down, and Sunny hesitated, sniffing the air. “Do you smell smoke?”

“Probably someone running their fireplace.” Dawn reached up and grabbed Sunny by the front of her shirt, pulling him down to kiss him again. “We should turn ours on in a little bit.”

“Yeah, in a little bit.” Sunny murmured, sinking into his wife’s welcoming embrace.

*

Bog was far more clingy than normal. Marianne didn’t mind, but she was a little concerned about him. Usually, when they were around his mother, he held back. Tonight, he had to have a hand on her at all times, and he would randomly lean over to her, kiss her, and tell her he loved her.

Zelda kept her comments to herself. Marianne found that odd as well. She was sure it had something to do with what they did to Kyler earlier in the day. The Lyceans were deeply disturbed. 

They were leaving the restaurant when Bog’s phone began vibrating. He grumbled and ignored it, choosing to focus on Marianne instead. One emergency had been dealt with today, he didn’t need another one.

“Maybe you should answer it,” Marianne suggested. His phone began vibrating again. Bog scowled, and they stopped walking so he could answer.

“What?” Bog snapped into the phone. His annoyed expression immediately faded into one of horror. “No. No. No.”

“Bog?” Marianne squeezed his arm.

“Bogdan, what’s going on?” Zelda moved in on the other side, grabbing her son’s other arm in concern.

The phone went smashing down into the sidewalk so hard it cracked almost in half. Bog trembled and began stomping on the phone while Zelda and Marianne pulled at him from two different directions in an attempt to make him stop.

“My house is on fire.” Bog slumped forward, picking at the pieces of his phone. “Our house is on fire.” Then he put his hands behind his head and began shaking. “The fire department is there, but they’re saying it’s a total loss.”

“Oh, no,” Zelda joined her son, wrapping an arm over his shoulders. “It’s just a house, Dear.”

“At least nobody was in it,” Marianne added, dropping down on Bog’s other side, trying to comfort him and get him to snap out of it. “It’ll be okay.”

“I can’t replace yer painting.” Bog turned to look at Marianne, his eyes slightly glazed over. 

“It’s just a painting. I’ll do another one.” Marianne smiled, leaning against Bog. 

“It won’t be the same.” Bog snorted, obviously trying to hold back his emotions. “Ye put a little of who ye are into things like that, at the time. I know it sounds stupid, but it was the first gift ye gave me, Marianne.” She nodded, leaning forward to kiss Bog’s forehead. He sat down on the sidewalk and pulled Marianne to him and just sat there holding her. Zelda sat down next to him, trying her best to comfort him as people passed by.

It was going to be a long night.

*

Bog was a mess. The loss of his home struck him harder than his mother. He lived there for so long and was comfortable in it. It was his castle, and while it wasn’t the biggest or nicest place, it was home. Bog, Zelda, and Marianne arrived on their street to see flames flickering in the wreckage. Two fire trucks were still watering down the rubble. It looked like the walls were still standing on two sides of the house, the back and side facing Marianne’s home. Whatever had set it on fire was not natural.

Dawn and Sunny spotted them and quickly joined them. Dawn was in tears, apologizing for not investigating the smoke they had smelled until it became overwhelming. Dawn’s tears managed to snap Bog into some semblance of his usual self. He forgot about his own sorrow and concentrated on Dawn. There was no need for Dawn to be so upset about this. She hadn’t set the fire.

Zelda received a call several hours later from Arawn, informing her that Roland had not shown up. Then she told him what had happened and they made arrangements to meet in town. Zelda began making calls. Bog was trying to comfort Dawn along with Sunny. Marianne was trying to comfort Bog and her sister. Everyone was avoiding looking at the burning house.

“We don’t need to stand here all night.” Zelda reached for her son’s arm. “All this smoke isn’t good for babies. I’ve reserved us rooms for the night at the Blackwood Suites. Let’s all just go now and try to get some sleep. That includes Dawn and Sunny.”

“Okay,” Bog sighed in agreement. He took a deep breath, looked at the still-smoking remains of his house, then he turned away from it. “Marianne? Would ye mind staying with me?”

“Not at all.” She replied. “My sword’s still in the car in case we run into anything else awful tonight. I’ll fight it off.”

That got a smile out of Bog. “I love ye, Love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where Fantasy Nevermore crosses over into The Hunter in the Family, however, still not giving away any real details other than this is one of the many random issues Bog has to deal with.
> 
> This is the chapter that covers the start of what is NOT mentioned here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21270353/chapters/58872199
> 
> When I go back and rewrite this, I'll go into more detail about the Peacekeepers. :D ALL of Bog's friends are Peacekeepers, with various jobs around Blackwood to keep the peace.


	13. November 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog and his family deal with the aftermath of Roland's attack.

November 21st

-=-=-=- 

Bog scowled, tightening his grip around Marianne. He fell asleep with her in his arms on a plush and cozy couch in their hotel room. Bog was in the middle of a nightmare. Everywhere he looked, there was fire. Marianne’s voice was coming from the fire, screaming for help. She was calling for him, and he couldn’t figure out where she was. 

The flames crawled on everything, and he was inside his home. Bog was overcome with a feeling of helplessness. Smoke obscured his senses, and everything was blurry, but he could hear Marianne screaming, somewhere in the fire. 

Then it shifted into a more familiar nightmare that Bog had had every night since being rescued from Roland. He was back in that little cage, helpless and in pain. He was trapped and frightened, a feeling so rare in his life it left a mark on him. It continually came back. 

“Bog.” Marianne’s voice came through, and his nightmare was broken with the image of her beautiful form coming through the door to rescue him. Then she slapped him. Bog’s eyes flew open as Marianne was slapping the side of his head, trying to get him out of it. “Are you okay?” Bog stared into her concerned eyes. Such beautiful amber-lit eyes that were looking back. “What were you dreaming about? It looked like you were having a nightmare.”

“I was.” Bog admitted pulling her close in a firm hug. “But yer here. I love ye.”

“I love you too, but you’re squishing me.” Marianne hugged him back, kissing him on the cheek. Then she pushed away. “You’re not going to be like this all day, are you?”

“Like what?” He gave her a perplexed look, reaching up to brush a stray lock of hair out of her eyes.

“You act like if you aren’t touching me, I’m going to vanish.” Marianne ran a hand over his chin, through the short, stiff stubble that was already growing in thickly. “I’m pretty sure if you drag me into the shower, I’m not going to be saying no.”

“Ye can sit outside and read a book.” Bog smiled, closing his eyes and enjoying her touch.

“That doesn’t sound like fun at all.” Marianne shifted to sit next to Bog. “That, and I’m pretty sure your mom and dad are already in there.”

Bog threw his head back against the couch and groaned. “They don’t stop.”

“I think it’s sweet.” Marianne smiled, closing her eyes and forgetting that Bog hadn’t answered her about what he was dreaming about.

“You haven’t walked in on them in the act,” grumbled Bog. “I love them, but I don’t want to see them loving each other. It’s gross. And they have no shame.”

-=-=-=- 

The remains of the Laird’s home smoldered, the smoke rising up into a dreary grey sky. It was misting, and it matched Bog’s mood. He stood with his family on the sidewalk that led to the smoking frame of their home. One wall still stood, leaning inward against a charred pile of wood and glass.

“Roland’s going to pay for this.” Arawn had one hand around his wife and one gripping Bog’s shoulder. “I’m not going easy on him when I catch him.” 

“Guess he was mad he didn’t find us at home.” Bog groused. Anger surged through him along with the continued need to keep Marianne within reach. She leaned against him, giving him the support he needed to keep himself in control. Bog ran the back of his hand over his eyes. “What do we do now?”

“We can stay in the farmhouse until our house is finished, then we can all move in there,” Zelda suggested with a smile.

“I was looking forward to having a house to myself,” stated Bog. “I can’t call up the Brennans and have them rush to build a second house for me. That wouldn’t be right. Especially not with the holidays coming up.” He sighed and squeezed Marianne, then he let her go. He stomped forward and pulled the caution tape apart.

“What are you doing, Bogdan?” Marianne watched as he stepped up onto the still smoking wreckage and began moving things.

“Looking for yer painting.” Bog grumbled, carefully crossing over the wreckage to where his room would have been. The roof had burned and collapsed on top. Bog began throwing the charred remains of shingles off to the side.

“Bog!” Marianne looked to his mother and father for help. “It burned with everything else! There’s no way that painting survived.”

“I’ll help ye look.” Arawn hurried over to where Bog was and began pulling up pieces of wood. “What am I looking fer?”

Bog made a face, “A painting with butterflies on it.”

“Right.” Arawn smiled and joined Bog in pulling up pieces of shingle and smoldering wood.

Marianne sighed, then walked past the tape to join them. Zelda shook her head and walked next door to check on Sunny and Dawn. 

-=-=-=- 

“What are y’all doing?” Kyler called out, walking around the side of the charred site with half a dozen workers behind him. He stopped and stared, dropping one hand to his hip and running the other through his hair. “That’s worse than I expected.”

“What did ye expect?” Bog scowled, standing up and slapping his hands together to get rid of the ashes.

“Maybe at least a frame? Burning to the ground like that, someone really hates you.” Kyler walked around the smoldering edge of the house and winced when Marianne slipped with a yelp and almost fall. “Ma’am, get off of there, now.” He gestured for them all to move. “Before you get hurt.”

“Looking for something.” Bog bent over, lifting another large piece of roof. It crumbled in his hands, and he slipped but didn’t fall as he was buoyed back upright.

Kyler frowned, hand up, uttering a short phrase. “You do remember my entire family is telekinetic, right?”

“Didn’t want to bother ye this early in the morning.” Bog grumbled, making his way over the wreckage.

“I got it!” Arawn stood up triumphantly, holding the charred remains of a canvas. The frame was in pieces, and it was covered in ash. “I think.”

The three of them managed to make their way to the ground that had once been Bog’s front yard. Arawn handed the canvas to Bog, who quickly began wiping his hand over it to remove the ash. Marianne tried to see if any of it remained beyond the few glimpses of color.

“I’ll find someone who can restore it.” Bog glanced at Marianne. “When I mentioned how ye put some of yerself into paintings at that moment.” He turned the canvas for Marianne to see that every part that had paint on it and some of the area around it did not burn. It was still there, surrounded by char and smudged with ash, but undamaged. “Ye left some protection on it because it was special to ye and ye make shields.” 

Bog gave Marianne a lopsided smile as she reached out to run her fingers over the painting. “Yeah.” She looked up at him, turning red. “Even when you were such a big pain in the butt.”

“I know.” Bog blushed and leaned down to kiss Marianne on the forehead.

“I’ll make the calls to get trucks out here, and we’ll clear the lot.” Kyler looked away, busying himself with his phone. “Then, we can discuss what you’re building on it, and we’ll get right on it, Bog.”

“I feel bad for him,” Marianne whispered to Bog as they walked to her home.

“Kyler’ll be fine. He just needs time to heal.” Bog muttered back. “Which reminds me, Dad, ye got to go see to yer’ pet’.”

“Not my ‘pet,’” snorted Arawn. “I didn’t volunteer. Family gets a ‘pet’, and of course, I have to take care of it, and I didn’t even want it.”

“Nobody wants him,” shrugged Bog, giving his father a smirk. “Doesn’t mean ye neglect him.”

“Only doing this fer yer mom,” Arawn grumbled.

“Hey!” Kyler called out behind them. “Mom said to invite y’all over for Thanksgiving dinner when you’re done at the school!”

Bog and Marianne froze, then turned slowly. “Thanksgiving is next week.” They stated simultaneously, exchanging frowns, then looking at the charred remains of Bog’s home.

“We’ll be there, Kyler.” Bog nodded in his direction. 

-=-=-=-

The Summer’s home filled with the warm smell of baking bread and roasting chicken. Bog assisted his mother in preparing a massive meal for the packed house. Marianne extended the dining room table to fit everyone and put a festive leaf-patterned table cloth on the table. Sunny and Dawn set out the tableware, and Arawn monitored everyone.

“Titania will sleep in yer room,” stated Arawn, motioning to Marianne. “Zelda and I are in the spare bedroom. Where is Bog sleeping?” He grinned at Marianne.

“On the floor outside Marianne’s room.” Bog walked through the door with a large salad bowl.

“On the floor?” Arawn made a face at his son.

“As a wolf. It’s not that uncomfortable,” stated Bog.

“You know, they used to do this thing called bundling so a couple could share a bed without any inappropriateness.” Arawn ran a hand through his beard, making the suggestion.

Bog scowled at his father, “That thing with the board or sewing people into a bag. That’s just weird, Dad. Yer worse than Mom, in the opposite direction.”

“Just let your father marry you two and get it over with,” Zelda chuckled, entering the dining room with a platter holding two roasted chickens and potatoes.

“Wait, yer ordained? What church would allow ye to be a minister?” Bog stared at his father.

“I’ve been through two different seminaries, Lad,” Arawn smirked. “Ye get a lot of time to fill when yer as old as I am. I read the first printing of Martin Luther’s 95 theses and attended lectures.”

“And what was mom doing at that time?” Bog turned to look at his mother.

“Running wild and naked in an Irish forest,” she replied. “I think we were also fighting the English at that time?”

“Yes,” Arawn nodded to his wife. “Somewhere in there.”

Bog, Marianne, Sunny, and Dawn stared at the two of them, their ages sinking in. Arcadians, Lyceans, and Atlanteans had long lives, but even among Arcadians, anyone over 500 was a rarity. Arawn and Zelda were older. 

“Ordinations are not fer life. Mine expired long ago,” chuckled Arawn.

“Well, what good is that?” Zelda returned to the kitchen.

“How did you two end up together?” Bog stared at his father.

“That Lycean sense never lies, Bog,” chuckled Arawn. “Zelda’s told her I was the right one, and it was the right time. I’m glad it did. Ye do not realize how fortunate ye are to have yer love now, in this time. Yer all so young.”

“Enough talk about the past.” Zelda returned with a basket of hot sliced bread and a plate of butter. “Let’s eat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still love comments and I need fuel... because I don't have the next chapter fully written. :D
> 
> I feel like Bog is holding onto a lot of resentment for his father's Arcadian side, since he keeps being a little rude to him, unable to separate who he actually IS with his perception of Arcadians. It's complicated. :D I've ALWAYS had the age establishing comment that Arawn has been around for some important historical events, while Zelda has run around in the wilds a good amount of her life. I've also had it in mind that they are stubbornly patriotic to whatever causes they adopt and fought in the revolution in their own ways, likely on the same side. ;)


	14. November 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog introduces Marianne to his goblins and trolls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taking a break from this one to finish others!

“Where are we going?” Marianne grumbled at Bog, being hurried along much earlier than she wanted to even be up. It was cold, raining, and she swore she saw a few snowflakes. “Please tell me we are not going to see Amber.”

“No,” chuckled Bog opening the door to his black Challenger. “We’re going to watch a movie.”

“Oh, no,” groaned Marianne, sliding into the seat. “What are we watching? Please… please….” She leaned her head on the dash and moaned, knowing what he was going to say.

“Frozen 2!” Bog excitedly slid into the driver’s side and slammed the door, turning the key with a flick of his wrist.

“You are entirely too excited.” Marianne scowled at him. “You complain about Disney movies every time you see a trailer for one of them! You pick them apart!”

“I have a love-hate relationship with Disney,” smirked Bog. “And I have to see every one of them on opening day, and today, ye get to come with me.”

“I had to watch the first one over and over again because Dawn loved it so much, and that song!” Marianne buckled her seat belt as the car went around a corner much faster than it should have. “I’m so glad she grew out of that phase.” Marianne blinked and slowly turned to Bog, realizing she wasn’t free. “Oh no, this is going to be a yearly thing, isn’t it?”

“I have to know the current trends to write and illustrate good books,” replied Bog with a smile and a twinkle in his eyes that worried Marianne. “And there are two movies a year, plus next month, it’s Star Wars!”

Marianne grabbed her head with both hands, groaning again. “I hate Star Wars!”

“Take that back!” Bog threw a mocking scowl in her direction. “We love Star Wars in my house.” He paused, recalling a particular night the previous month. “Why do you have a droid patterned nightshirt if ye hate Star Wars?”

“I thought they were cute,” sighed Marianne. “At least you’re not into chick flicks. I hate chick flicks.”

“Oh, that reminds me, we will be watching Love Actually at some point this winter,” chuckled Bog. Marianne turned and gave him a dirty look.

-=-=-=-=- 

“My love is not fragile.” Bog wrapped his arms around Marianne and squeezed her tight as they left the theater. “But I swear, if ye ever run off by yerself to save yer sister, I will hunt ye down, and ye know I can. I’m not going to stand in the middle of a forest and sing about my feelings!”

“That’s good to know,” laughed Marianne, trying to wriggle out of his grasp. “But you do realize I’m Elsa in that scenario, not Anna!”

“What?!” Bog let her go, grabbing her by the hand, pulling her around in a circle with a grin on his face. “Do we need to find ye an Aquatic Draconis? I can do that, ye know!”

“You can find me an actual water horse?” Marianne laughed, spinning with him, aware they were dancing in the middle of a crowded sidewalk.

“Well, they’re considered dragons, but ye know what I’m talking about,” chuckled Bog, catching Marianne in his arms. Then he began singing Lost in the Woods in a loud voice. She blushed a deep red as people around them started chuckling, while several kids joined in, much to Bog’s delight.

“You’re in a good mood, considering.” Marianne tried to pull him away from the theater and in the direction of his car.

“Good movies always put me in a good mood,” chuckled Bog as several little girls danced around him, laughing and pulling on his coat. Marianne smiled, stepping back and watching as Bog knelt and grabbed one of the kids, who squealed happily as he lifted her. “Krissy!” He laughed, spinning in a circle.

“My turn next, Mr. Laird!” The other girls shouted in delight, bouncing around Bog.

Marianne laughed, glancing around at the parents standing nearby. Bog knew the kids by name. She was reminded of the fact the love of her life was also a King, and he knew everyone in town by name, including all the children. How many times had she thought he was just as reclusive as she was when he was actually out interacting with his people. Bog had to have a phenomenal memory and responsibilities he hadn’t mentioned to her.

Bog spent a few minutes with each of the kids, then sent them back to their parents, who looked honored their King took the time to give them personal attention. Then he took Marianne’s arm and walked her past his car. “We’re going to pick up breakfast.

-=-=-=-=- 

Bog’s good mood turned sour by afternoon. He hovered around Marianne to the point of annoyance and knew he was annoying her. They settled into her studio for a few hours, with Bog seated in the extra chair, staring out over the backyard most of the time. The attempt to not show he cared about anything he lost failed, and occasionally he fought with his emotions, having nothing to distract himself with.

Marianne gave Bog her laptop so he could work or at least keep himself busy and less mopey. A new phone arrived by courier after lunch, which Bog busied himself with, setting it up. He still kept Marianne within view at all times, trying incredibly hard not to bother her, when all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms and smother her in love.

Once Bog had his new phone set up, he went to work, sending emails to Kyler with plans, plotting something special for Marianne. There was no way he would ask the Brennans to build him a new house, at least, not a full-sized one, in a short amount of time. No, he had an idea, and it was a really good one, one which would be more private than staying with Dawn and Sunny or his parents once their home was completed.

He smiled as he sent the plan off to Kyler, then gazed at his lovely wife to be as she worked on her own projects. This would be a surprise and a gift she would love.

“I’m going for a walk. Want to come?” Bog rose from his chair, pocketing his phone.

“Sure.” Marianne smiled at him, arching her back in her chair and stretching her arms over her head. Bog moved behind her, sliding his arms over her shoulders and placing his hands on the arms of her chair to kiss her upside down. 

-=-=-=-=- 

“Where are we going?” Marianne flipped her scarf around her face one more time. Dressed warmly in a coat that arrived just that morning, courtesy of Bog and his insane gift-giving spree, she trudged with him arm in arm past the remains of his home. Dump trucks were parked around it, almost full of debris, while his home site was almost clear.

“You’ll see,” stated Bog, turning an adoring smile at her that made her immediately smile back. They walked past his destroyed home and crossed the street into the treeline on the other side. Their neighborhood backed up to the woods, with thick forest on two sides. These were the woods she chased Bog through in his wolf form a couple weeks prior.

The walk was more of a hike as the land rose steeply in areas. Marianne began grumbling, rubbing her arms, wondering how far they were going. It was cold, and the wind picked up around them, howling as it shook the leafless branches overhead.

“What would you think of building a home here?” Bog inquired, slipping his arm over Marianne’s shoulders and pulling her close. Marianne made a face, looking at all the trees.

“It would be different?” She turned to look at Bog and grinned. “How are you going to handle Halloween all the way up here?”

“Well, I think I’m going to have a playground built where my house used to be,” replied Bog, looking back. “And I’ll leave some open space for Halloween fun.”

“That sounds like a good idea. I’m sure Sunny and Dawn will love having a playground next door when the boys arrive.” Marianne bumped her hip against Bog’s leg. “I like it.”

“We haven’t gotten to the view yet,” chuckled Bog as they walked further. They reached a break in the trees and, with a few more steps, were overlooking Blackwood and the southern forest. Marianne gave a little gasp, clutching Bog’s arm and turning. 

Thick forest surrounded them, and if the view was astounding, even on this dreary cold day. Marianne could imagine what it would look like when the trees were full of leaves, quiet and secluded. 

“I like it,” she stated with a smile. “When are we going over the plans, and how fast are you having this one built? ”

“Spring,” Bog replied, walking a little further. “After the trolls and goblins wake up.”

“What?” Marianne turned and gave her fiance a startled look.

“Trolls and goblins.” Bog smiled nervously. “They’re hibernating right now, beneath where we’re standing. Twenty-two Trolls, 36 Goblins, plus whatever cubs they’re having over the next few weeks.”

“Is-is that safe?” Marianne’s eyes widened, and she stammered.

“Come on,” chuckled Bog, taking her hand and leading her back into the trees. “I’ve grown up with this clan. They aren’t what you think.”

Marianne bit her lower lip, scrunching up her face nervously. Trolls. Big, nasty, territorial creatures full of teeth and armed with razor-sharp claws. The much smaller goblins often accompanied trolls, scavenging off their kills. Neither were creatures she wanted as neighbors.

-=-=-=-=- 

Bog glanced at Marianne worriedly, having dreaded the moment he would introduce her to the local famliarsis. Trolls and goblins were so maligned, and he had a soft spot for the creatures, desperately wanting everyone to understand they were not awful or frightening. They were also no threat to anyone who wasn’t where they shouldn’t be, so they needed to meet Marianne, and she needed to meet them.

The entrance to their main den was not far from where he wanted to build their new home. It was a large cave opening, almost concealed by an overgrowth of dead vines and grass. Massive trees rose around the opening, and Marianne gave Bog a strained look.

“It’s okay,” whispered Bog, pulling his phone out and turning on the flashlight. “It won’t take long. I want you to see them.”

“I don’t know.” She pulled back lightly on his arm. “Bog, they’re trolls.”

“Yes, I’m aware of that,” he chuckled, gently pulling her with him. “I want you to see them while they’re sleeping.”

Marianne made a face, then sighed, resigned to following her fiance inside the dark tunnel. They walked for a few minutes in darkness, then found themselves in a small chamber with tunnels leading off it. It was cool inside the cave, but not as cold as outside, and Marianne kept close to Bog as he chose a tunnel.

They didn’t go far before they found a den and spotted several trolls curled up together in a deep sleep. Marianne’s breath stopped for a moment, realizing how close they were to the dangerous creatures. Blackwood trolls were massive, and she could see their mouths full of teeth and claws.

Nearby, in a narrower part of the den, half a dozen goblins were snuggled up against each other, and she spotted several young ones, sleeping among them. The goblins were tiny compared to the trolls, lizard-like with long tails, spiked protrusions all over, and pebbly skin.

“They sleep from November to February,” whispered Bog, watching Marianne’s face closely. “And they tend to keep in the forest. We use the goblins as messengers when necessary.”

“They can talk?” Marianne whispered back, curiously.

“Some better than others. A few won’t shut up,” chuckled Bog. “I promise, ye’ll like them, Marianne. I know they aren’t pretty and fuzzy, but they are loyal and amusing.”

Marianne took a deep breath, closing her eyes. After a moment, she whispered, “I trust you, Bog. If you say they are, I believe you, but it’s going to take getting used to.”

Bog turned to walk back outside. “We’ll be putting in a basement that leads here. I check on them during the winter and keep them safe. I’ve been friends with some of them since I was a child.”

“You played with trolls and goblins as a child?” Marianne shivered.

“I did, and more.” Bog took a deep breath. “When the weather gets warmer, I will show you what’s in Blackwood Forest, I believe you will be amazed.”

“Spill it!” Marianne jostled Bog’s arm as they neared the entrance to the cave. “We always knew something was in the forest! The Mother was one of the creatures Dad always suspected was there! What else? We’ve only seen a few famliarsis.”

“Most of the familiarsis avoid the town, and you should be thankful for it,” chuckled Bog, swaying into Marianne, almost knocking her down. “Because there are a lot of perytons out there, and they are the most obnoxious creatures ever! They do not shut up!”

“Perytons?!” Marianne squealed giddily, “Oh, I love those things!”

“Ew, why?” Bog made a face at her, then cracked a smile. “They’re beautiful creatures, but the wild ones are annoying. We have a dozen different variations of them, and I’ll make sure to take ye out to see them, even if I can’t stand them.”

“So, what else is out there?” Marianne smiled as they headed home.

-=-=-=-=- 

Bog listed the various familiarses in the forest to an increasingly excited Marianne. She wanted to go out as soon it was warm enough to see them, which made Bog happy.

In the short time, they were in the woods, the last of his lot was cleared and the trucks were leaving down the street. Curiously, Bog led Marianne down the sidewalk to look at the stone slab foundation that remained. 

“Huh.” Bog walked across the stone with Marianne in tow. It looked like a floor, the original floor for the house his own house had built over. He knit his eyebrows, noting something else. There were stairs under the kitchen and cheerful humming coming from them. “Mom?”

“Down here!” Zelda called out. “Looks like most of the canning I did survived!”

Bog glanced at Marianne with a bewildered look on his face as both walked to the stairs and looked down into a large open room. “I don’t remember having a basement.”

“Is Marianne with you?” Zelda yelled from somewhere below them. “I have something to show her!”

“Uh, yeah?” Bog and Marianne walked down the steps into a small storage room. Shelves were lined with jars of canned produce. Another door was set into one side, leading into a far bigger room where Zelda was going through a box on a table.

“Oh, good!” Zelda looked up with a grin and produced a thick photo album. “I forgot I put these down here! Would you like to see Bog as a baby?” The grin that spread across Zelda’s face was purely intended to embarrass her son, who was indeed, turning deep red at the thought of what those albums contained.

“Yes!” laughed Marianne, darting past Bog before he could stop her.

“Did you also forget we had a basement?” snorted Bog, joining them with his hands in his pockets. The room was piled with dusty, sealed glass bookcases, crates, and massive old storage trunks. He could feel the presence of alchemy in the room, making his sense tingle. 

“No,” chuckled Zelda, flipping the album open and laying it flat on the table. There were photos of Zelda, Bog, and Arawn. So many pictures and Marianne made a delighted noise, wiping her hands over her eyes quickly. The grin on her face was amazingly wide as she reached out with her fingers at the photos of a clearly happy family together.

Bog sighed, looming over her to one side, glancing down at the photos as the page was flipped. They were typical family photos, photos he had never asked to see in decades because seeing his father was painful. He silently watched as more pages were turned, holding in his emotions as well as he could.

Marianne giggled as Zelda began commenting on each one, telling her little bits and pieces about Bog when he was a child. Bog tuned out the words, and the desire to grab the album and secret it away somewhere private so he could study the pictures himself. So many memories were in those photos, and the loss he experienced deepened.

He had his father now, and he loved him, but the gulf of time between them built a wall that Bog was having a difficult time dealing with. The truth of his disappearance, his Arcadian blood, and Bog’s inheritance weighed heavily on him. Arawn wasn’t quite the same as he was in the photos, a doting, loving father, playing with his son, there to fix everything that went wrong, there to wipe away the tears of a small boy.

Arawn was a bit of a jerk at times, trying to be a father to an adult son and prepare him for things Bog couldn’t fully understand. His Hunter father’s urgency to teach Bog to master his basic skills bordered on paranoia, and he didn’t seem to care when it hurt him. Yes, Bog could heal fast, but the punishment he was taking in their lessons seemed unnecessary.

“Oh, look, do you still have that rubber ducky?” giggled Marianne, pointing out a typical kid photo of Bog in a bathtub with a cheery yellow, rubber duck in his mouth.

“Hah!” Bog laughed, shook back into the present, “Quackers!” Then he made a strange face, grimacing, “He was on my bookshelf in my room, so he’s a puddle somewhere in the dump.”

“I’ll get you one for Christmas.” Marianne turned to grab Bog around the waist in a quick hug, then they kissed for a moment, and the world felt so much better. “How many chew toys should I get you?” she asked with a twinkle in her eye.

The question brought an amused smile to Bog’s face as he hugged her, then he leaned down and whispered something that made Marianne’s face turn crimson. 

“I heard that!” Zelda gave the pair of them a mischevious smile, and both turned even redder.

-=-=-=-=-

Roland scowled, running a hand through the stubble on his chin, staring at himself in the small dingy mirror. His ordinarily neat and stylish hair was disheveled, and he had dark circles under his eyes. Lack of sleep took its toll, along with having to eat disgusting, greasy fast food and living in seedy motels between Rock Castle and Blackwood.

He checked the cheap burner phone he had resorted to, a device with limited functions and less than reliable service. So far, his plans failed. There were too many variables, and Arawn was the biggest one. Without his friends to help him, Roland was at a loss.

Bogdan Laird and Marianne King consumed his every waking moment, working through the things he could do. With Arawn in the way, he couldn’t get rid of Bog. He had thoughts about spreading the fact Bog was a Rex Regis, but knew he wouldn’t get far with that.

He couldn’t get near Marianne with both Bog and Arawn around, and maneuvering in Blackwood was nearly impossible. He knew about the upcoming events for Thanksgiving. It was coming down to the fact Roland might need to just leave them alone and wait. Burning Bog’s home to the ground was a spur of the moment decision made out of anger when he didn’t find them alone, and it had the likely effect of making Bog stick closer to Marianne.

Grumbling, Roland looked at his phone. There had to be some way to get Marianne alone, or he needed to pull back and be patient. The only issue with that plan was the fact he didn’t have the funds to wait too long. His own parents and family cut him off, and he knew they would turn him in if he attempted to go to them. Arawn got to them before he did. 

Roland knew he had a short amount of time to work before he needed to leave the area. Arawn was trying to find him, and that ancient Hunter was terrifying. At some point, Roland would have to give up and run. He wanted to kill Bog and steal Marianne away, but he didn’t know how to do either, especially not without help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe... Yeah, that little event annoyed me too, just like Bog.  
I. Need to sort out the ending. I know how it will end, but getting there has a hole. :D  
Streeeeeesed. Because TEENAGERS.
> 
> It was late at night when I finished and posted. :D I just realized it's completely coincidental Bog introduced Marianne to his trolls/goblins on the same week of updates in both of my Blackwood stories. :D


	15. November 24th - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bog has enough of his father's constant pushes to train him and his father comes up with an ingenious solution to their problem.

Bog grumbled from where he laid, just outside Marianne's bedroom door, stretched out on a large dog bed, in his lanky wolf form. He could see inside, but wouldn't be in the way should she have to get up. Titania was laying on the foot of her bed, but he couldn't see her. The Hellhound kept herself invisible, and Bog could swear she was taunting him by laying on Marianne's bed with her, where Bog didn't dare to go. Did he want to? Yes, he did. There were many things dancing through Bog's head that he wanted to do with Marianne, and those ideas grew with each passing day as they prepared for their wedding.

Again, he groused to himself about how this wasn't how Lyceans typically did things, but he had something to prove to his overly encouraging mother, that her son was not a slave to his impulses, not like her. Yes, Lyceans were different from all of humanity, those that lived short lives and the ones from the ancient cities. He knew. Absolutely. Marianne was the woman he wanted to spend his entire life with, that special woman he would do anything for… that woman who was currently snoring so loud, he couldn't sleep.

Bog sighed, tilting his head, his ears back against his head. After getting to sleep with her in his arms several times now, he missed it. In three and a half weeks, he would be married, and hopefully living in the little house, he planned to surprise Marianne with and not with his parents. He had looked forward to living in his own home, with his wife, enjoying it without his mother and father possibly around any random corner, doing who knows what. He wouldn't press for their actual home to be built nearly as fast. It could wait until late spring or early summer. 

Thinking about their new home, his thoughts went to Kyler, the sadness in his friend at what he lost, and his futile attempt to do something about it. He needed to talk to Arawn about trying to restore what he had taken from him. Bog's mind ran over hundreds of random things, the horror of having a part of him ripped out, sealed, forgotten. Memories he couldn't remember ever having before surfaced and rolled, involving that loving father that he had for a small fraction of his life.

"Bogdan," a whisper called him from the foot of the stairs. "Time tae get up and get some training in. I want tae start on shields." Arawn spoke to him from the foot of the stairs, knowing his son could hear him.

Loving father.

For a moment, Bog's lip curled as he considered pretending not to hear. His loving father had been replaced by a cold, demanding teacher who had no tolerance for disobedience. Bog was an adult, and he didn't like being told what to do, yet, Arawn was still his father, and he loved him. That emotion had returned with the same force as if he had been a child, still adoring his father. With a sigh, Bog rose and quietly padded across the wooden floor, not wanting to make any sounds that might wake the love of his life.

*

"Today, we're going to work on shields." Arawn stepped off the porch, his breath freezing in the air as he spoke.

Bog followed him, running his hands over his bare arms. He had learned to wear as little clothing as possible for training, typically a black tank top and shorts. It didn't matter that it was cold outside, he could tolerate it. Knowing his father, the shirt and shorts would end up ripped to pieces, and they were simple to regenerate.

"Okay, what's the exercise?" Bog looked around the King's backyard, the early morning light barely illuminating the frost-covered ground. His bare feet crunched over the grass, a pleasant sensation, despite the cold. He also liked the crunching sound.

"Think fast," chuckled Arawn, holding out his hand, his staff forming immediately.

Bog scowled at his father, taking a quick look at him. He was dressed in a grey t-shirt and sweatpants. The fact he wasn't wearing any kind of armor was disturbing, because armor slowed him down, which meant Bog was about to get a beating. Arawn was literally nothing but corded muscle and hard bone, and he stood there, in front of Bog, beginning to spin his staff in preparation.

"Throw your shields to block me, then drop them. I want ye to block as many blows as ye can." Arawn grinned as he slid his right foot forward, his gleaming blue eyes scanning over Bog.

The attack came with incredible speed, something Bog was used to. He threw up a shield with both hands, scowling grumpily. The shield vanished as Arawn swung the other end of the staff at him down low. Bog blocked it easily, forced to drop into a crouch. The next succession of blows were shielded, then he missed, and the butt of his father's staff caught him in the gut. Bog staggered back and didn't have time to recover as the staff caught his left leg, jerking it out from under him. He went down like a ton of bricks, sliding across the frosty grass.

And he laid there, scowling at the lightning sky.

"Get up, Bogdan, we'll start again." Arawn spun his staff, waiting for his son to rise.

Bog closed his eyes and sighed. He wasn't in the mood for another beating, which tended to be what these constant training sessions felt like. Why were they even necessary? He knew how to fight. He was a king, and his life was not that complicated. He wrote children's books and painted pretty pictures. He didn't need to do all this rigorous training.

"Son, get up." Arawn prodded Bog's hip, and Bog snarled, rolling over and shifting into his hybrid form. He towered over his father, lips curling back to show off his massive fangs, his breath curling around his muzzle. "Oh? Ye think that will help? Yer lazy, Bogdan, ye need practice."

With a snarl, Bog went for his father, intending on pinning him to the ground. He momentarily forgot who he was facing as Arawn grinned disturbingly at him, throwing his hand out in front of him. Bog's muzzle smacked painfully into the shield, then he was lifted into the air and thrown across the yard, almost crashing into a tree.

The massive wolf landed on the other side of the fence and rolled with the force of impact. Then he laid there, catching his breath, snarling in indignation. This was Arawn, a bogeyman to Arcadians as well as Lyceans, a warrior he could not hope to stand up to, and he was his father… and he loved him. Bog inhaled sharply, his mind reeling in confusion, trying once again to connect this frightening man to his father and failing. He really wanted his father and just laid there, feeling his eyes burn as he shifted back to his human form.

Why couldn't Arawn just be his father?

"Bog?" Arawn jumped the fence, his staff no longer in hand, approaching him in a brisk walk. "Ye, okay? Yer not getting up."

"Why are ye doing this to me?" Bog gestured with both hands, then let them drop into the frosty grass beside him. "Yer supposed to be my father. Why are ye constantly hurting me?"

"Hurting ye?" Arawn squatted next to Bog's head, letting his hands dangle off his knees. "Ye heal, and I'm not doing anything to ye that's severe. I could do worse."

"But why?" Bog groaned, scowling at him. He pushed himself upright, staring across the frost-covered field in the dim morning light. He lifted his head, staring his father directly in the eyes. "Why can't ye just be my Dad?"

"I don't get what ye mean." Arawn frowned, looking back, that studiously alert look he often had fixed on his son. "I am being yer dad. Just like my dad was to me, making sure ye live to see tomorrow. I have decades to make up for."

"By trying to beat me senseless every day?" snorted Bog, rubbing his stomach and uttering a healing word. "Ye don't understand. All those memories I got back, they make me feel like I'm six again and yer my father, like ye were then, not now. And yer not like that."

"Aye, that's how it is with recovered memories, Bogdan." Arawn nodded, lowering his gaze with a deeper frown. "Remember, I had the same happen to me, only it's worse because ye still had yer memories, I didn't, so to me… ye were six yesterday, and today yer a man."

"Oh." Bog grimaced, having not thought of the fact the returned memories likely hit his father worse than himself.

"I made a promise to yer mom that I would not die while she's alive, and I would make sure any children we had would be survivors," stated Arawn with a heavy sigh. "And yer the only child I have and will ever have. I lost out on yer entire childhood, so I may be a bit rough on ye, but it's out of necessity and because I love ye. Someday, ye'll have kids of yer own, and I want ye to be there for them, enjoying everything I didn't."

"Why the urgency?" Bog met his father's eyes again, sincerely wanting to know. "We've lived here without you, without incident, for decades."

"Aye, and Roland threatened that and is still a threat," replied Arawn, running a hand through his hair, then offering it to Bog as he rose. "There will always be Rolands, Bogdan, always Hunters seeking to make a name for themselves and not willing to leave things alone that aren't bothering anyone."

Bog scowled, accepting his father's hand and standing. His backside was wet from the frost and chilled. "I still don't like these training sessions, and I just want ye to be my dad for a while."

"Ye don't get it, Bog, ye can't let yer guard down. There is so much I can teach ye, but yer slow, because ye haven't been challenged to excel. Ye just settle." Arawn turned away from him, heading toward the fence.

"But yer trying to teach me too fast," protested Bog, falling in behind him. "Ye can't cram decades of training and teaching into every session."

Arawn suddenly stopped walking, and Bog almost ran into him. "I think I have an idea, a theory I can test on ye."

"What?" Bog groaned as his father turned to face him, clapping his hands on his shoulders, a crooked smile on his face. "I don't like being a test subject. Look what ye did to Kyler. He's still broken, and I keep meaning to ask ye to try to fix him."

"Oh?" Arawn grimaced. "I'll see what I can do next time I see him, but right now, this is what I'm thinking. Have ye ever seen the movie Dark City?"

"Yeah." Bog looked at his father curiously, making more faces, unsure of where he was going with this. "Creepy mind-altering aliens playing with people's minds and implanting whole lifetimes of false memories. I don't need false memories, Dad. I mean, I could do that to myself if I wanted to."

"No," Arawn chuckled, shaking his head. "Not that part. How they defeated the aliens. Ye remember that part?"

"Yeah, Keifer Sutherland implanted a bunch of training… Matrix… style…" Bog trailed off as it dawned on him where his father was going. "Ye can do that? Like, actually train me in my mind as though it's a memory that we did when I was a child?"

Arawn nodded, grinning at his son. "I've never done it before, of course, and I'd have to be careful not to disturb yer memories because any slip-up can change ye in unknown ways, and I like ye the way ye are."

"Ye can do it though?" Bog stared at his father, incredulously.

"Aye, but it will be a real memory, not a fake one. It just won't happen in the real world. To you, it'll be real." Arawn began walking again. "I'll need to lay down a foundation, back to when I was taken from ye, starting with the time we missed. The sessions will take a few minutes and will give ye weeks worth of training in the past, slower training like I would have done had I been with ye. Ye get experiences with me as a child, and I get the same, filling in what I missed."

They stopped at the fence, Bog staring at his father in awe. "They'll be real memories? Yer basically going to build real memories using yer ability, in my head?"

"In theory." Arawn shrugged. "I've never done it before. Normally, I'm manipulating already existing memories, blocking, and sealing. Creating an actual memory will be a new thing, so let's try something simple first."

"Like what?" 

"The day I was taken." Arawn lifted his right hand out to touch Bog's forehead. "Stand still, close yer eyes and go with it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH GOOD GRIEF! I started writing, trying to figure out where I was and Bog's anger and frustration toward his father needed to come out, he's just so messed up and come to find out... so is Arawn and the solution came out of Arawn's mouth and I went... oh... wow... it works so well with his abilities. Just CREATE those memories he lost in gaps in Bog's mind! They're REAL memories of things he would have done with Bog if he was there, but he has to be careful NOT to mess with other memories.   
I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!! It even went with Arawn tending to say sleep when knocking someone out. :D He has a lot of downtime and watches movies. :D Probably more than he reads books since his job would make it easier to watch things than lug around books.  
Eeeeeeeeeee... so happy to be progressing!
> 
> *Note, I did add the Strange Magic tag to Fantasy Nevermore and it contains quite a bit of things that fold into this story, such as... what happened to Kyler.*
> 
> Have a good day, just thought I'd get this updated since a comment was made asking me about it. Comments are powerful. :D


	16. November 24th - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arawn sets Bog up for teaching him everything he wasn't there to teach him as a child. Then they prepare to, hopefully, fix Kyler's massive problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can read Fantasy Nevermore at the same time, there are no spoilers. :D Not really... actually.. it's behind Hunter with the events going on.

Bog was six again, eyes wide in horror at what he had just seen, clinging to his mother as she carried him through alleys and into busy streets. “It’s okay, Bogdan. I’m sure Dad will join us soon. We set a place to go in an emergency, remember?” The ashen-faced child nodded vigorously, the wild shock of black hair on his head, falling into his eyes, obscuring his vision.

His fault. This was his fault.

The emotion ripped through him, terror that something awful had happened to his father. The memory of the Hunters in white seared into his thoughts. They focused on his father, not him, but he felt the uncontrolled shifting going on, despite not wanting it. It was only a little, but he couldn’t help but feel it was his fault.

They saw him changing. 

Bog whimpered as his mother carried him onto a bus. They moved past the gathered people to sit at the back of the bus, his mother sitting against the wall, her arm wrapped securely over his narrow shoulders. He stared at the people getting on and off the bus as an unknown amount of time passed, then, at one of the stops, he saw his father’s familiar face as he stepped into the bus and hurried to the back to sit next to Bog and Zelda.

Everything on the bus seemed to stand still as Arawn leaned over his son, smiling, “It’s okay, Bogdan, see, I’m safe. They were after me because ye see, I have a little secret.” He held out his hand, showing Bog a glimmer of blue light arcing over his hand and across his fingertips. “I’m an Arcadian, but I’m still yer father, and they were not happy that I left them. Ye remember this secret. I know ye do. I never told ye I was an Arcadian before because it wasn’t important. I just told ye to keep certain abilities a secret, but we’re not going to keep that secret any longer.”

Bog stared at his father, wide-eyed, happy to see him, and terrified at the same time. This was his father. He trusted him and loved him, and in his eyes, he could do no wrong.

Arawn put his arm around Bog, hugging him tightly. “I love ye, Bogdan, but yer mom is worried about these things, so I’m going tae teach ye without her knowing about it. It will be our little secret. I have to go away, and I will be away for a long time, for yer safety, but I will be back to teach ye, and ye can’t say anything to yer mom, okay?”

“Okay.” Bog nodded slowly in response. “I don’t want ye to leave, Dad.”

“Ye’ll be okay. Ye got yer mom.” Arawn smiled, hugging Bog tighter. “I do this for ye and yer mom, tae keep ye safe, but this is not yer fault. It’s mine. Ye will understand when yer older, that sometimes, ye have to make decisions ye don’t want tae to keep yer loved ones safe. I love ye and yer mom, Bogdan. We’ll see each other again soon.”

Arawn took a moment to hold his son as he sobbed against him, gripping his shirt and crying that he didn’t want him to go, then he had to push the boy back, get up, and leave. Bog sat quietly, watching him vanish off the bus, then turned back to his mother for comfort.

*

The memory ended, and Bog wiped his eyes, aware that his father did the same. The exchange was fresh in his mind, but now, it was also a memory that did away with decades of Bog feeling responsible for his father’s supposed death. It rippled and shifted his memories, adjusting them slightly. “Ye went probing,” Bog grumbled, knowing his father had no way of knowing that he felt responsible for his disappearance since he had never told him. He still remembered feeling it was his fault, but it was no longer an overwhelming thought.

“Aye, unavoidable.” Arawn smiled, looking away from his son. “Ye should never have felt it was yer fault. This gives ye an idea of how powerful making a new memory is and how they will be inserted without affecting yer other memories.”

“I got it.” Bog nodded slowly, leaning against the fence. “Ye add to my memories, ye don’t alter them. They alter themselves?”

“That’s the way the brain works,” Arawn replied. “Once set into play, yer memories kinda rework themselves to line up with the oldest memory, which is why this is dangerous, and I don’t want to touch yer existing memories outside of that one. It laid a framework to explain my missing time in your mind and will make it easy to add private training to all the times you were alone.”

Bog stared at the sun, beginning to peek over the trees in the distance. “Dad. Thanks.” He smiled at his father, already feeling considerably better about him.

“Let’s go see what yer mom’s making for breakfast. I’ll need the day to work up a plan for teaching ye, and we’ll begin this evening.” Arawn grinned at his son.

*

Marianne yawned, waking to the sensation of her bed shifting. She opened her eyes to see Bog sitting next to her with a tray in hand. “I brought ye breakfast in bed,” he stated, waiting for her to sit upright before placing the tray over her lap.

“Good morning,” Marianne yawned again, smiling sleepily at her husband-to-be. “Are we starting a new tradition, because I could get used to this.” She turned her bleary eyes to the tray, smiling at a pile of french toast covered in syrup, a glass of chocolate milk, and orange slices. 

“If it pleases ye, princess,” chuckled Bog.

“Ugh, you must love me if you can tolerate seeing me like this.” Marianne made a face, running a hand through her mussed up hair.

“Ye look cute.” Bog reached over and tousled her hair more, grinning as he did it.

“Stop that!” laughed Marianne, attempting to fend his hands off and knocking the food tray on a corner. The glass of milk almost tipped over, but Bog caught it, and both breathed a sigh of relief. 

“I’ll leave ye to yer breakfast.” Bog got up, “Kyler’s coming over with house plans so they can begin preparing the site. They’ll put in a road and all the lines for utilities in the next few weeks.” He smiled, his back turned to Marianne. “We should keep away from the site until spring.”

“Bog, you know how much I enjoy jogging in a construction site.” Marianne sipped her chocolate milk. She waved at him to leave. “Thank you for breakfast. I’ll be down after I shower.”

“As you wish.” Bog bounced off the bed, backing toward the door in an overly dramatic bow. “Buttercup,” Marianne smirked, grabbing her pillow and lobbing it at Bog. He laughed, ducking down the hall.

“As you wish, you adorkable nerd.” Marianne grinned, chopping up bits of french toast and rolling her eyes back as the syrup hit her tongue. “I love you so much.”

*

Half an hour later, Bog answered the front door to find Kyler standing there, dressed as he usually did, in a clean white shirt, blue jeans, with his toolbelt. Today, he also had a shoulder bag big enough to hold a laptop, and in his arms, he held a large cardboard box. Fudge, the little black helper dragon that tended to hang around him at all times, was perched on his shoulder.

“Whatcha got in the box, Kyler?” Bog eyed the box as Kyler nodded and walked past him.

“Gifts for the neighborhood.” Kyler set the box down and lifted the lid. “Stay in there, guys.” A dozen heads, exactly like Fudge’s poked out of the top, looking around curiously. The ferret-like furry dragons were all different colors, ranging from white to brown, red to black. 

Bog grinned, reaching into the box to pick up a little red one. “Can’t let Dawn see these, she’ll want them all.” The small animal chirped, twitching its short rounded ears.

“There are too many of these servant dragons at Emily’s house, so we thought we could redistribute them all over Blackwood to run errands and find new homes.” Kyler motioned to them. “These are the first to go, and I thought I’d let you get one if you want, then I either go house to house and offer them to the families on your street or…” Kyler chuckled, running a hand through his wavy golden-brown hair. “I dump them out in the backyard and let them choose their families.”

“Oh, the kids would love that,” Bog laughed, scratching the one in his hands beneath the chin. “The parents not so much.” He lifted the animal to look at it, holding it in one hand and stretching out one of its leathery reddish-black wings. “Definitely do the latter! Spread them throughout town. We can use the pest control, and honestly, there aren’t any of these types of familiarsis in town, and they’re usually so rare.” Bog put the dragon back in the box, then ran his fingers over several of the others’ heads. “If any want to stay, we’ll leave it up to them.”

Kyler picked up the box and started down the hall that led to the backyard, walking past the kitchen where Dawn stood in the doorway. The moment she saw the box full of furry animals, she squealed and bounced excitedly.

“Where did you get those?!” There was no stopping her as she snagged a golden furred dragon out of the box and hugged it. The tiny creature fluttered in surprise, squeaking in alarm. “Oh! I’m sorry!” Dawn quickly slid an arm under it, loosening her grip.

“Servant dragons from the Springer’s estate,” stated Bog, glancing into the kitchen. Arawn was leaning against a cabinet, talking to Zelda, who was just finishing cleaning up after breakfast. Arawn put down the cup of coffee in his hands and walked across the kitchen to join them. “We’re taking them outside and letting them go.”

“Letting them go?” Dawn pouted, petting the one in her hands. “I want one!”

Bog shook his head. “Let’s leave these to the kids first. There will be more.”

“Ahhh.” Dawn frowned, falling into line behind Kyler as they headed to the back door.

Kyler set the cardboard box down on the porch. “Everyone, out. You remember what you were told. Go find a new household to live in. One per kid. I’m leaving food out for you at the house site, but try to avoid the construction, okay?”

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” There was a chorus of chirps as the famliarsis bobbed their heads, then bounced out of the box, spreading over the yard.”

“Dawn.” Bog put a hand on her shoulder, motioning to the others.

“Oh, all right,” Dawn sighed, reluctantly opening her hands to allow the one she held to leave. It ho[[ed out of her hands and flew out into the yard to investigate with the others.

“Looks like an infestation,” chuckled Arawn, joining them. “Good morning, Kyler. We should talk.”

Kyler grimaced, turning to give Arawn and anguished look. “Fudge, go to Dawn.” The black dragon fluttered off his shoulder and into Dawn’s arms with a delighted chirp.

“Good grief, you are so adorable.” Dawn laughed, running her fingers through the creature’s short black fur.

“Why don’t ye go inside, Dawn.” Bog walked to the back door, holding it open for her. “We need to have a private conversation with Kyler.”

Dawn nodded, walking through the door. “Do you like french toast, Fudge?”

‘I eat anything!” Fudge replied, splaying his wings out, purring at the attention as Dawn continued petting him.

“Okay,” Arawn turned to Kyler when the door closed. “Tell me about it. I’m the one that did this tae ye, and I’d like to fix it. Bog told me what he attempted tae do, but it didn’t work, did it?”

“No.” Kyler shook his head sadly, his shoulders slumping as he looked from Bog to Arawn. “It’s all gone. I’ve been piggybacking on Emily’s emotions, but…” He took a deep breath. “They only go so far, and they’re not mine.”

“Aye.” Arawn looked at Kyler thoughtfully. “Bog trying to share his sense wouldn’t work, because every Lycean has a different energy, however, I have a theory.”

“Ye have a lot of theories, how do ye have time for thinking so much?” Bog made at a face at his father. “When yer constantly with Mom?”

“Not now, Bogdan.” Arawn rolled his eyes at his son, then turned back to Kyler. “If ye let me give it a try. Why don’t ye lay on the deck?”

Kyler nodded, doing as he was told. “I love Emily. I know I do. The thoughts are there, and I want to be with her, but there’s this hole, it’s the only way I can describe it. That part of me that should be there is missing, and it’s always there, a dark emptiness.”

“I’m sorry I had tae do that tae ye. The cost was too high.” Arawn kneeled next to Kyler, placing his hand over his chest. 

“No, I paid the cost that was right,” stated Kyler. “I will live with this if I have to, and I will never regret my choice. It saved Emily’s life, and there wasn’t any other way, was there?”

“I don’t think so,” muttered Arawn. “Now, stop talking so I can concentrate. Bog, sit beside me. I’m going to use ye as a map tae guide me and see if I can split off some of Kyler’s energy field, change it, and fill that missing piece of him.” Bog nodded, kneeling next to his father. Arawn put a hand on Bog’s chest and concentrated, closing his eyes. “This isn’t going to feel great.”


	17. November 24th - Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arawn attempts to fix Kyler, experimenting on him.

Marianne walked through the house, searching for Bog. She was dressed for the chilly November day in one of the nice golden-orange sweaters Bog had bought her, black jeans, and dark brown ankle-high hiking boots. She finished the outfit with a white silk scarf covered in maple leaves, looped loosely around her neck. 

She found Griselda in the kitchen with Dawn, feeding Fudge bits of syrup-soaked french toast and was directed to the back door, with a warning that Arawn was outside with Kyler and Bog. Marianne sighed at that news, wondering what they were doing. She pushed open the door to see Arawn on his knees, one hand on Kyler’s chest, and the other on Bog’s. Neither young men looked like they were enjoying what he was doing.

“What are you doing to that poor man now?” Marianne grumbled softly, closing the door behind her.

“Quiet, I need a few more minutes,” Arawn responded, concentrating, bits of blue energy flicking over the hand on Kyler’s chest. The young man’s face was contorted like he was in a great deal of pain, and Marianne frowned, walking around to his side. She dropped to her knees, putting both hands on his shoulder. The moment she did, he sighed and relaxed. “Keep doing that, Marianne. Dull his pain so I can see what I’m doing better.” 

By the time Arawn finished, ten minutes later, Kyler was covered in sweat and looked exhausted. Bog helped him to his feet, and half carried him inside the house, where they made him comfortable in one of the den’s cozy chairs. Marianne followed in concern, worried about what they had done to him.

“Get him some juice, something with a lot of sugar,” ordered Arawn, slapping Kyler lightly on the cheek with the back of his hand. “This is going to take some recovery time, but I think I got it started. Wake up, Kyler.”

“I’m awake.” Kyler grimaced, his golden-brown eyes fluttering halfway open.

“Listen to me, Kyler,” Arawn began. “Ye need to rest and not see Emily for 24 hours. Let your energy stabilize and heal. Honestly, stay away a couple of days if ye can.”

“I’ll give her a call and explain.” Kyler nodded slowly, closing his eyes and grimacing. “It’s burnin’.”

“Aye, give it some time.” Arawn patted Kyler on the shoulder, then stood to allow Bog by with a glass of orange juice. Marianne leaned over, frowning in concern, resting a hand on Kyler’s arm. She didn’t know him that well, but in their brief interactions, she liked him and wanted to see him back to how he had been the first time they met. That Kyler had a huge cheerful smile on his face at all times, and Bog had told her he was always like that. After what happened at the Springer’s house, he was just sad and upset looking when she saw him, going about his job as though the sun had set forever in his life.

“The house plans are on my laptop if y’all will hand it to me.” Kyler gestured to his shoulder bag, sitting in a chair across the room. “I’ll be fine enough to talk about them in a few minutes, I think.” He took the glass of juice in his shaky hands and sipped.

“Don’t worry about that right now,” chuckled Bog. “I want ye back to the way ye were before, and that’s not that important.”

“I still have a job to do,” stated Kyler, smirking at Bog. “You need someplace to call home.” He winked at Bog, who nodded with a grin, glancing at Marianne, who caught both gestures and made a face, immediately realizing the pair of them were up to something.

*

Half an hour later, Kyler sat on the couch with Bog on one side and Marianne on the other. Both hand a hand on him as they discussed the blueprints on the laptop. There were half a dozen plans, each one for a large, three-story home. Compared to the King mansion, it was a modest house, but far grander than the house Bog had called home most of his life. He seemed embarrassed by it. The choice wasn’t difficult. Kyler had been thorough, first asking what Bog and Marianne wanted, securing the blueprints for the King Mansion from Lucas, and Bog’s old home, then designing based on everything.

The house they settled on was spacious, with a large basement family room outfitted with a small theater, fully furnished with all the latest technology, game room, and a specially secured room that would house everything that had been in the basement under Bog’s house. A door would separate the house from the adjoining cave system, which with the nature of trolls and goblins, would be heavily guarded at all times. The first floor would have a three-car garage, kitchen, dining room, and another large living area to entertain guests in, and a small reading room off the kitchen gave a view of the front yard. 

Bog and Marianne had the second floor set up with an amazing master bedroom with adjoining master bath. There was a balcony leading off their room that looked off into the most scenic part of the surrounding forest. Per Marianne’s request, there was a huge walk-in closet, and both cringed while adding a cozy little nook at one side of their bedroom that for now bore the label’ office nook’, but in reality was a nursery. There were two small bedrooms across the hall and a massive studio that both Bog and Marianne could work in, with windows wrapping it on three sides, so it felt like their old studios.

The top floor held four large bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a massive playroom. Above that, there was the attic, which also had more rooms, most of which would be for storage. For now, each room would be set up for guests or storage. A wood porch wrapped around the entire house on the ground floor and balconies led off many of the upper floors. Safety features were built into each level, hidden sprinkler systems, air quality monitors, anything Bog could think of that would make his home safe and monitored at all times.

There would be time in the future to go over more details, but for now, the Brennans would see to preparing the foundation and hiding the fact they were building that small, guest house for Bog and Marianne’s wedding night. They would at least have privacy there, even if it wasn’t a full house.

“That should do it, I reckon,” stated Kyler, typing in the last notes for small changes. He closed his eyes, leaning back with a smile on his face, one neither Bog nor Marianne had seen since the emergency at the Springer’s home.

“How ye feeling?” Bog kept a hand on Kyler’s shoulder, sending in a steady stream of his energy into him to dull the pain and just support him, something which Marianne was able to do as well.

“I can manage.” Kyler leaned forward again, closing his laptop. “I think the worst of it has passed, thank you, Bog, Marianne. We’ll see in a couple of days how things go, but I feel… fuller. It’s the only way I can describe it. Like an empty glass being filled.”

“Good.” Bog removed his hand and nodded to Marianne to do the same, and then they watched Kyler’s face momentarily contort with pain. He took care of it himself, tapping his chest and uttering a healing word.

“I can dull it until I’ve healed,” stated Kyler with a smile. “I’ll make these changes and get them back to you.” 

“Before ye go, Kyler, I need ye to set up a time to install a heater in the dungeon at the farmhouse.” Arawn leaned against the door frame, a cup of coffee in hand.

“For Jonathan?” Kyler gathered his laptop and bag. “I can go out later today. After lunch?”

“What does a vampire need a heater for?” grunted Bog curiously. “They run hot.”

Arawn made a face, scratching the back of his head. “This one doesn’t.”

“What do ye mean, he doesn’t?” Bog made a face at his father as Marianne and Kyler turned their full attention to him.

“This vampire… is weird. I’ve been keeping a journal of my visits, taking his temperature, just talking,” grumbled Arawn, as though embarrassed to be talking to him at all. “He’s not drinking blood. It’s like he’s reverted to being, I don’t know, normal? It’s unheard of.”

“No, kidding.” Bog stood, scowling at the thought. “That’s impossible.”

“I’ve never seen a vampire go from thirsting for blood tae wanting pancakes and syrup before. Yes, they still eat tae nourish the body, but it’s typically minimal.” Arawn stepped inside the room. “He ate some sandwiches.”

Kyler looked disturbed at the conversation, lowering his eyes in thought. “I’ll go out with you in a few hours, Arawn. I need to check out the old blueprints and see what I’m workin’ with.”

“Kyler, he’s not going anywhere near Emily, if that’s yer concern. He’s much more interested in learning about himself and keeping them safe from a distance by not being around them.” Arawn explained. “I’ll give ye my journal tae read on the way down, so ye’ll understand what’s going on.”

“I want to see it too,” stated Bog. “What did ye find out, Dad?”

“That Emily was the second person he bit in all that time he free in the world. He was feeding on deer and animals,” Arawn grumbled. “I have a theory.” Bog groaned, rolling his eyes. “Whatever bloodline Jonathan carries, recovers from vampirism. I don’t think he’s a full Vampire any more, but he has the potential to turn if he dies, then can recover given the right blood, someone who carries a lot of power in their bloodline, like Emily. He knows he can never touch her again or be too close, because now that he has been awakened, he will thirst for her specifically, as a drug.”

“The kids, they are going to need to know about him at some point,” groaned Bog, looking at Kyler, who stood nearby in complete silence, listening with a disturbed look on his face. “The chances they will also turn into vampires if they die are strong.”

“They are.” Arawn nodded in concern. “If they die. Johnathan may have been the last line of vampires created in Lycea. A variant with the purpose of immortality over power. An error.”

“Ye got a lot of theories,” sighed Bog. “But what do we do about a vampire, who isn’t a vampire? We don’t know him.”

“We keep him, that’s what,” replied Arawn. “For a while, in any case. He understands the danger he poses, especially to his ex-wife and children.”

“I’ll talk to him,” Kyler spoke up. “I will be able to evaluate him and if he’s tellin’ the truth or fakin’ anythin’.”

“I was hoping ye’d volunteer.” Arawn smirked. “I need tae make physical contact with a subject tae work with them, and I’ve been reluctant, cause I don’t want to get bit and it’s too much trouble tae strap him down. Freak vampire ruined all my plans to research vampires. Couldn’t even run a proper test of different blood types and how long they kept him sated, because he finished one bag, then refused to drink anymore. We don’t know much about vampires, but we do know they need to feed daily. He does not.”

“I’ll make him a pie.” Griselda stated from the doorway, having been listening in to the conversation. “Think he’d like apple?”

Arawn groaned at his wife. “Let’s not spoil him, he’s still an abominable vampire.”

“He’s a Lycean, just like us,” Griselda growled in response. “And from the sound of it, he might hold the secret to curing the vampires who don’t want to be vampires.” 

Arawn scowled, then admitted reluctantly, “It’s possible.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Currently working on finishing up this story! 
> 
> Zelda's going to spoil that poor vampire... :D
> 
> I have a bunch of werewolf Bogs on my tumblr that I inked. :D  
https://shivae.tumblr.com/


	18. November 24th - Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arawn divulges some secrets about Bog to Kyler that he hasn't told Bog about yet, very, very IMPORTANT information.

Arawn held his scowl, a little annoyed that his passenger was clearly afraid of him. Kyler tried to act casual, but he sat as close to the passenger side door as he could in the CR-V. There was a small, plug-in heating unit, tools, and a box with books, a blanket, and treats that Griselda insisted they bring to the ‘pet’. His wife had also insisted he wear an incredibly soft, unintimidating cream-colored scarf over his dark blue sweater. Because it smelled like his wife, he didn’t bother taking it off. Arawn glanced at Kyler, who was doing his best not to make eye contact, reading the entries in Arawn’s journal.

“After everything I’ve done tae help ye, yer going to keep acting like that?” Arawn glanced at Kyler, who slowly turned to look at him.

“No offense, but you aren’t exactly warm and welcomin’,” stated Kyler. “Remember, I can feel your emotions and you… are overwhelmin’, so I shut it off.”

“Huh, really?” Arawn looked at Kyler curiously. “Ye know, there aren’t many empaths who are Arcadians, so yer ability is fascinating.”

“It’s a non-violent ability,” Kyler said, making a face at Arawn.

“Oh, really? Ye think that’s a non-violent ability?” Arawn began laughing as though Kyler’s statement was the funniest thing he had ever heard. “I had my hands on ye, and I could see everything yer capable of. Non-violent ability,” he laughed again. “You lack imagination, lad.” Kyler stared at him, completely confused by what Arawn had seen. “You influence emotions, ye are pathokinetic, and ye know ye can cause fear, but you can also cause pain, without even touching a person. It’s amazing. Ye can drop people with a single thought.”

“What?” Kyler gasped, looking horrified.

“Fear isn’t always useful, because sometimes it can make a person more courageous, but pain, ye hit someone with it, and their immediate response is tae back off.” Arawn grinned, more than happy to share his thoughts. “And ye got telekinesis, and yer a good lad. I see why Bog thinks so highly of ye.”

Kyler stared silently. 

“Why am I overwhelming?” Arawn asked, genuinely curious.

“Because you’re thinkin’ all the time, and you are a true multi-tasker. Bog does it too, but not as good as you do. I mean, you have six thoughts going on at any one time, and each one is individual, like, six different people. It’s astounding.” Kyler explained. “That’s why you’re so good at your job, isn’t it?”

“Aye, it is,” chuckled Arawn, a smile spreading across his face. “And nobody but Zelda knows I can do that. Bog isn’t aware he does it, because it develops the older we get. Right now, he’s only able to split his trains of thought into two, and he thinks it’s normal, but the third is developing because of Marianne.” 

“Are you goin’ to tell him?” Kyler’s fear turned into curiosity. “Why are you sharin’ this with me?”

“Growing up, I had the benefit of family members who were empaths. They would watch out for the negative thoughts that always come with uncontrolled threads of thinking, and they would stop it.” Arawn stared ahead as he hit the road that led to the farmhouse. “I need ye to watch Bog, monitor him, and manipulate his emotions if he gets into one of those moods, at least, until I can work with him.”

“Oh.” Kyler nodded slowly.

“It takes time to learn control.” Arawn pulled the CR-V to a stop next to the farmhouse. “Until he learns, there will be times negative thoughts fill the extra channel because it’s open. Ye can block them.”

“I can’t watch Bog all the time.” Kyler opened the door and stepped out into the cold, a frigid blast of air hitting him and turning his breath to fog.

“Ye don’t have to. It builds up over time, so just check tae make sure it’s not overwhelming him.” Arawn got out and closed the door. “I don’t want ye telling Bog what yer doing, because if ye do, he’s going tae try to figure out how it works and force it. I’m not ready to teach him how tae master multi-tasking yet. Two is easy. Three is tricky. Any after that are easier once he gets the third one mastered.”

“So basically, I need to clean Bog’s emotions?” Kyler closed his door and reached into the now open side door to pull out the boxed heater.

“Aye, do that for him. I’ll let ye know when tae stop.” Arawn stepped up beside Kyler, making the young man cringe away. He was only a couple of inches taller, but his intimidating presence was impossible to ignore, especially not by an empath who could sense the power encompassing him, even when he had his ability shut off.

“Okay.” Kyler agreed, awkwardly trying not to look startled.

They walked out behind the house to a large uninviting barn. “Bog did a good job on this,” stated Arawn, leading the way into the forbidding illusion. Kyler hesitated, eyes widening in horror as Arawn walked across a gaping pit. Bits of rock and dirt fell into the chasm. “Come on, ye know it isn’t real, Kyler.”

“Yes.” Kyler nervously followed. He didn’t recall Bog being able to do this before, creating a fantastic illusion that was so real, it brought a sense of genuine fear. This must have been something he inherited from his father. 

Arawn unlocked a hidden door beyond the illusion, a decrepit, worn, splintered door. It opened into a surprisingly clean, well-lit stairwell. 

*

Kyler wasn’t sure what expect as he followed the frightening Hunter down into a narrow hall with several doors. He knew about the secret jail like everyone else in Blackwood. It hadn’t had an occupant for decades, not since Bog had punished Sugar. Most of their offenders were put into a regular jail, where they typically stayed. The secret prison was for special cases, like, holding a vampire.

Arawn opened the door to a small room and stepped aside for Kyler to pass before he followed with his crate. The room was small, ten by ten in concrete with a cage set up on one end that was big enough for a tall man to lay down. The cell contained a cot and a combination toilet sink in one corner… and a man.

“Good mornin’, Jonathan.” Kyler greeted politely, placing the heater down near the front of the cage. The man looked up slowly, meeting Kyler’s eyes briefly, then turning away in shame. Jonathan Winters was a solidly built man with a fair complexion, golden-brown hair, and pale blue eyes. After four days in the cell, his hair was a mess, there were dark circles under his eyes, and his mouth was set into a depressed frown.

Kyler shivered at just how cold it was in the cell, turning to look at Arawn. “Why didn’t you have me to do this when you put him down here?”

Arawn grunted, setting the box down against the bars so Jonathan could reach it. “It’s for me, not him.” He shut the door with a little too much force, making a loud clanging sound.

“Uh. Yeah?” Kyler made a face at Arawn behind his back. “It’s too cold in here.” He uncoiled the cord and plugged it in. The heater turned on automatically. Kyler pulled a small, remote out of his pocket and laid it on the tray set into the cage’s door. “Jonathan, you can adjust the heat as you need it.”

“How is Emily?” Jonathan glanced at Kyler curiously, remaining seated on the cot.

“She cares about you, and she’s sad that it came to this. Your kids don’t know.” Kyler turned away quickly and pulled up a chair. The Vampire sat on the cot, looking at him.

“Kyler is here to monitor your emotions today. Are ye hungry?” Arawn had his notebook out and was writing.

“For real food,” the Vampire sighed. “I don’t want any blood. I’m really hungry.”

“There’s food in the crate for ye.” Arawn motioned the box he had carried down and sat next to the bars.

“Are you only coming out once a day, Arawn?” Kyler turned to stare at him.

“Aye. Don’t need to come out more than once ta feed the Vampire.” Arawn grunted.

“Arawn,” Kyler scowled at him. “He’s seriously hungry. I can feel it. That’s all he’s feelin’ right now. He’s not even mad or jealous of me. Well, he has mixed feelings about me, but you’re starvin’ him.” Arawn glared at Kyler.

“Fine. I’ll bring him more food, but I am not coming out here multiple times a day.” Arawn got up and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

“What do you like to eat, Jonathan?” Kyler turned back to the cage in concern. Going against Arawn’s evident efforts to not think of Jonathan as an actual person, Kyler purposely used Jonathan’s name.

“Same things everyone else likes to eat.” Jonathan shrugged, staring at his feet.

“Why didn’t you say anythin’ to Arawn?”

“Are you kidding? That man is scary!” Jonathan grimaced, finally looking up at Kyler.

“Yeah. I know he is, but he’s not gonna hurt you,” Kyler grumbled. “At least I don’t think he will.”

“You’re not on this side of the bars. I’m your prisoner. I don’t want to give him any reason to be mad at me.” Jonathan rambled. “He’s offered to kill me every day. I don’t want to die!” His expression took on a look of desperation. “How do you know what I’m feeling?”

“My primary ability is empathic,” Kyler explained. “I read emotions. It’s why I decided to save our life, Jonathan.”

“Oh.” The Vampire stared at him in wonder. “Then you know I’m being truthful?”

“Yeah. I can detect lies and deception.” Kyler frowned in thought. “Look, I’ll bring you something good to eat in the evenin’s from now on.

“That’s not necessary.” Arawn returned, carrying a cooler. He popped it open and held up a bag of blood. “Blood?”

“No.” Jonathan shook his head. “I don’t want it or need it.”

“He’s telling the truth,” Kyler stated, feeling more and more guilty with each passing moment. He had been around Arawn when he was with his family, out on the job, and now, with a subject. The Hunter could turn himself off and on like a switch, moving from warm father and husband to cold, emotionless Hunter seamlessly. He was so incredibly old, he was on a different level of existence. 

Griselda was just as old, but she was not nearly as extreme as her husband and all his thinking. She was straightforward, crafty, and wise, but she existed in the here and now. Arawn lived in his mind, his thoughts on the past, present, and future and how they wound together. Kyler realized this was what Bog would be like as he grew older, very much like his father.

Bog was already a good king, but he would become astounding with both his mother and father at his side. And his future wife? His new family? No Lycean king before would compare to him. The thoughts clouded Kyler’s mind, watching Arawn.

Arawn set it aside and pulled out a couple of subs wrapped in paper. “I’ll bring ye stuff that doesn’t need to be refrigerated.” He stepped up to the cage and tossed the sandwiches inside, onto the floor.

“Arawn.” Kyler scowled. “Can you treat him like he’s human and not some caged animal?”

“Until he proves otherwise, he’s a caged animal.” Arawn glared at Kyler again. “I didn’t ask to take care of a ‘pet’, Kyler.”

“This isn’t right.” Kyler could feel Jonathan’s emotions, all the hurt, confusion, and fear. “His eyes are blue, not gold or purple. There’s no thirst in him. He’s just a normal person right now.”

“The effective words are, right now,” growled Arawn. He stood for a moment, his face softening in thought. “Look, I get that ye don’t know what ye are, but ye are what ye are, and ye are dangerous.”

“I understand.” Jonathan nodded slowly, hanging his head again. Then he realized what Arawn said and looked up, eyes wide. “How do I prove myself?”

“We will see,” grunted Arawn. “First, I’m going tae teach ye about our world, then ye may get out with supervision and a control band linked to me. Ye’ll be moved in a few weeks to a more comfortable cell.”

“Beneath that house I’m buildin’ for you?” Kyler quirked an eyebrow at the Hunter. He knew the blueprints for Arawn and Zelda’s home, and there was indeed a small prison secured beneath it, something more accessible than coming out to the farmhouse every day. It had been in the plans even before Jonathan was captured.

“Aye.” Arawn nodded with a scowl. “Then other people can see tae ye and I hold the leash. Not going tae risk my bleeding heart wife letting ye out. I’ll be privy tae yer thoughts too when yer outside the cell. Just tae warn ye.”

“I have a lot to learn,” sighed Jonathan, then he smiled. “But you are going to teach me?”

“I’ll teach ye what ye need to know, yes, now, let’s talk.” Arawn pulled up a chair behind the small table at the far side of the room and motioned for Kyler to join him. “Yes and no questions, Vampire.”

Kyler frowned, not liking what was going on as well, even though he understood why things had to be the way they were. Vampires were nasty creatures, and some of them could shield their thoughts. This could all be some clever ruse, and it would take time to see if that were true or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have I mentioned this is a 13+ book series? :D  
Because it's a 13 book series, even though I'm going to stop updating it on A03 so I can rewrite it and smooth it out. Good grief, I have so much good stuff plotted out! I'm building a TEAM that can be drawn from for future missions and stuff.  
Every generation is far stronger than the one before it. Zelda and Arawn are both parts of ancient, powerful lines of Arcadians and Lyceans, so their progeny... even though it's only one, Bog, is going to be exceptional above them all. Arawn surprised me with this information, and it explains so much. Can you imagine being able to truly multi-task? Have three completely different trains of thought without any confusion, focusing on one task, thinking about another, being able to WRITE with both hands, two completely different letters and carry on a conversation at the same time, because that's what Bog and Arawn can do.  
It makes them amazing in combat as well. Each one of those threads are split by trauma/strong events in their lives. Arawn has a thought stream devoted entirely to Zelda and his son, a far more compassionate side that also draws with it his emotions. Bog's first split was when Arawn was taken, a wary, always on guard, paranoid thought stream.


	19. November 26th - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roland is spying on the family and very curious about what it is that's hidden behind the farmhouse.

It rained steadily for two days, a slow drizzle to a fine mist, then intervals of near-freezing rain. Fierce, squalling wind buffeted the house as everyone remained inside, confident they were safe and secure. Fires crackled in the fireplaces, and everyone dressed warmly, keeping close to their significant others.

“I see,” Bog chuckled into his phone. “I hear they enjoy peanut butter and will keep yer kid warm at night.”

Marianne giggled across from him, in a cute red sweater and blue jeans, nursing a cup of coffee. Bog smiled at her as he listened to the ranting parent on the other end.

“Don’t think of it as a pet, think of it as a little furry guest who never leaves.” Bog laughed, disconnecting the call and giving Marianne a smirk.

“You enjoyed that way too much,” stated Marianne, motioning to Bog’s phone.

“That accounts for all of the dragons Kyler released.” Bog laid his phone down, then pulled at the collar on the dark green turtleneck he had on. “These are so itchy and tight.”

“They do make sweaters without turtle necks,” pointed out Marianne in amusement as Bog tugged at the collar again.

“My mom buys most of my clothes,” muttered Bog in response, unable to meet her eyes.

“Take it off?” The suggestion came with a twinkle in Marianne’s golden-brown eyes. 

Bog eyed her, raising an eyebrow. “Ye first.”

There was no hesitation as Marianne set her coffee cup on the table, reached down to grip the bottom of her sweater with both hands, then pulled it off in one smooth motion. She laughed at Bog’s mortified expression, throwing her sweater at his face before realizing she was wearing a dark purple t-shirt beneath it.

Panicked, Bog fumbled with the sweater, attempting to get up at the same time. He smacked his knee on the underside of the table, his foot catching around a chair leg. Marianne grimaced as Bog went down, vanishing beneath the table, followed by a floor-shaking thud.

Marianne rushed around to his side of the table, kneeling to pull her sweater out of his arms. “How are you this amazing werewolf king and so clumsy?”

“I thought ye were naked!” Bog stared at her, red in the face, just now realizing she had a shirt on. He glanced at the shirt and smirked at the image printed on it, a bow and arrow wielding psychotic looking turkey with rainbow plumage. “I wanted to get the sweater back on ye.”

“I love you, you weirdo.” Marianne laughed, leaning over to kiss his nose. With a playful growl, Bog pulled her down on top of him, hugging her and holding her tight as she squealed and struggled, trying to wriggle out of his grasp.

“Bog! Marianne!” Griselda made a mockingly loud gasp from the doorway to the dining room. “Seriously, you can just go out in the woods. I know it’s cold out there, but you can handle it for five minutes.

“Mother!’ Bog snapped, letting Marianne go, falling onto his back with a groan.

“Ye must be mad, woman, if ye think it’ll only be five minutes.” Arawn loomed over his wife, more than happy to embarrass his son further. “I didn’t hear any complaints this morning.”

“They don’t have any practice!” Griselda laughed, leaning back against her husband.

“No!” shrieked Marianne, half-joking as she threw her arms into the air. “No! Don’t say anything else!”

“Kill me now,” groaned Bog. “Please, stop talking!”

“We got pointers?” giggled Griselda mischievously. 

“Lots of pointers,” added Arawn as both Bog and Marianne gave them horrified looks. “But no time for it. I’m heading out to the farmhouse to take the ‘pet’ some food. When I get back, we’ll have our session, Bogdan.”

“Yes, sir,” Bog sighed in relief, pushing himself upright and then off the floor. He offered Marianne a hand up, and pulled her up into an embrace, hugging her tightly as his father chuckled and walked past them.

*

Roland kept his eye on the King’s home, a mechanical eye with all the latest enhancements. The all-weather drone had taken time and money he couldn’t afford, but he had it now, watching the house. Every day at the same time, Arawn left the house, and today, Roland would find out where he went.

Over the previous days, Roland used the drone to map out parts of Arawn’s daily drive, constrained by the drone’s range and lousy weather. The intimidating Hunter left the house at the same time as usual, and Roland hid in a beat-up old car near the end of the route, he mapped the previous day.

Arawn was entirely unaware he was being tracked as he drove to the farmhouse. The drone hovered overhead, recording his short trip to the barn. He was there for half an hour before leaving, still having no idea he was being watched.

Roland rubbed his hands together, watching the laptop screen. He remembered the farmhouse and location as being where he and his men captured Bog. What was out there that brought both Bog and Arawn into the middle of nowhere?

The Hunter squinted at the screen, his breath fogging it up. Grumbling, he wiped his hand over the screen and made a decision. He was going to travel out there and figure out what was so important out there. 

A few minutes later, Arawn drove by the parking lot Roland was sitting in. The drone landed on Roland’s car, and he got out to retrieve it, packed it safely away in the trunk, then headed out for the farmhouse. Whatever it was, he would get to it and see if he could use it against Bog and Arawn.

The car started with a stutter, and Roland grumbled, shifting into reverse. When he was done in the barn, he would get into the old house and spend the rest of the day and night in some comfort.

*

Amber’s breath froze around her as she headed to the barn, padding over the cold ground in her usual form, that of a long, golden wolf-like dragon. She left the nearby forest as soon as she saw Arawn leave the barn and did what she had done every day since they brought the strange vampire to the prison.

There was no hesitation as she slipped into the barn, blue eyes gleaming and bright in the dim light. She crossed the veil and effortlessly phased through the door, passing through it like it wasn’t there.

She paused outside the door to the cell, shifting her form from dragon to human. This fascinating vampire, who had no idea what he was, interested her. Arawn would chew her out of if he knew she visited with him for most of the day after he left, keeping him company. Amber had a lot of respect for Arawn, mostly because he had spent a lot of time with her when they lived in the farmhouse, and he did not treat her with the same reverence as everyone else.

No, Arawn made her behave, called her out on her aloofness, talked back to her, and simply had no time for her antics. When the Lairds lived in the house, she had been awake a considerable amount of time and often played with Bog in the woods. 

They were her family.

She had known Zelda since she had been born and bonded with the Lairds and Blackwood. For her safety, she was restricted to the forest, and she had obeyed her family. Now that she was older, she didn’t want to sleep as much, even though she knew that was her lot in life.

Her memories of Lycea and who she was before it fell were still there, but she had been different. Centuries of being treated as a near deity tended to give one an inflated view of their importance. The Lairds treated her as a child when she was reborn, informing her of the fall of Lycea, why it fell, and her new life with them.

She had mourned that great city, her home, for years, then realized she had more freedom in Blackwood. Amber was allowed to roam and not confined to a single place. She was treated as more than just a valuable asset and weapon. The Lairds raised her as their own.

But the younger generation didn’t appear to have time for her, and she was bored. Amber walked through the wall and into the dimly lit room on the other side with a smile.

“Good morning, Jonathan!” she greeted the vampire cheerfully, and he smiled, looking up at her. “Want to go for a walk today?”

“It’s too cold,” he replied with a shake of his head. “But thank you for offering, Amber.”

Amber walked up to the door, and with a wave of her hand, it unlocked and slid open. “There, why don’t you come out and sit with me.” The cold grey walls and dim light slid away as Amber stepped aside. Brilliant, warm sunlight and a grassy field surrounded them.

Jonathan smiled, stepping through the doors and into the illusion. “He wasn’t so awful today. He even promised to bring me a Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday.”

“Arawn’s just protecting our people and this town. I’m sorry he leaves you locked up in there.” Amber shifted her furs to sit on a nearby rock, watching Jonathan spread his arms, close his eyes, and enjoy the warmth and light.

“I understand why,” Jonathan sighed, then dropped to his knees and rolled onto his back with his arms beneath his head. “This is incredible.”

“I don’t believe you’re a threat,” stated Amber.

“Well, I’m glad one of us thinks that.” The vampire closed his eyes. “I don’t want to risk hurting my family, or anyone for that matter.”

“I’ve scanned you myself.” Amber grinned, watching him. “You’re a very strange Vampire. You do have to keep away from your wife.”

“Emily’s not my wife. She has a new life with someone who isn’t going to be tempted to bite her every time they get too close.” Jonathan’s face contorted in disgust. “I can’t believe I did that. I didn’t want to.”

“That can be controlled at some point,” stated Amber. “It takes time. If you had known, it would have been easier for you to resist.”

“I still love her, and that’s why I won’t fight for her. It’s not fair to her or the kids to have a monster in their home.” Jonathan grimaced.

Amber laughed. “Werewolves and vampires are both considered monsters.”

“You know what I mean,” grumbled Jonathan. 

“By the way, only fully ascended vampires, those who have died and fed, are considered vampires. What you are, is called a Rose, a Hidden Rose, which is very rare.” Amber began talking as Jonathan listened with his eyes closed. “You’re just like the rest of the Lyceans right now, and that’s the mystery. There’s never been a Vampire who ascended, then reverted back to their humanity. I should have a memory of such a creation, but I do not.”

“What does that mean?” Jonathan opened an eye to peer at Amber.

“That you are immortal, weaker than a full vampire, but without the eventual loss of humanity or the thirst for blood.” Amber enjoyed showing off her knowledge, and Jonathan listened to everything she said with the interest of a small child. “It also makes you a target, should any vampire figure it out. Draining you would give an ancient vampire a new lease on life, and the fact you are also immune to the sun is a bonus.”

Jonathan grimaced. “Okay, stop talking. Can I just enjoy the sun for a little while?”

“As long as you want,” Amber giggled. “But you’ll have to tell me a story, something fun in your life.”

“I had a cat once, the most amazing cat.” Jonathan began with a smile. “He was a Maine Coon, huge, with long fur and an incredibly long tail. I found him in a cardboard box.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure what's wrong with me, but I can still smell things, so I'm good. :D Delayed a bit, but here's another embarassing chapter, hehehe. :D


	20. November 26th - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roland makes the wrong choice... and so does Bog.

The subtle push against his senses told Roland whatever was in the barn was worth investigating. The veil was particularly good, and Roland assumed Arawn was responsible for it. That legendary Hunter was nothing less than extraordinary, but he had never come up on the likes of Roland. The younger Hunter was confident he could think the seasoned veteran.

After all, he was walking across his Veil without an issue. The door was not a problem either. Roland chuckled in amusement as he bypassed the locked door and found no other deterrents. 

He would be able to detect traps with ease and was a master of disarming them. He slowly made his way down the stairs and petted down the dimly lit door at the row of simple does. Obviously, the Lairds thought their illusion and simple locks would do the job of protecting whatever treasure was hidden down here, because they had never dealt with a man as clever as he was.

Roland grinned, stepping through the first for, intending to take a wary peek inside. The sight that met his eyes drew a sharp gasp. There was a massive meadow stretching out as far as the eye could see. A brilliant blue sky reached to the heavens, full of beautiful voluminous white clouds.

He stepped further inside, eyes locked in something else in the room. A woman sat on a rock a short distance away. She was beautiful, and Roland could not take his eyes off her.

The woman had fair skin and wavy golden-brown hair that spread out over her shoulders in a shimmering cascade. Her body was perfect, exactly what Roland liked. She wore a pale gold sundress and stood smiling at him, swaying her hips slowly.

Roland swallowed, almost forgetting why had come into the room. What were the Lairds doing, hiding a gorgeous woman in a room in what appeared to be a dilapidated barn?

"Hello." She spoke, and her voice was like honey, smooth, and seductive. She motioned to Roland with a come hither expression, sitting and crossing her long elegant legs.

Roland swallowed and stepped forward as though in a trance. Each step was faster than the last, eager to see exactly what this mysterious woman wanted from him.

He didn't see Jonathan as the vampire appeared out of the illusion behind him. Roland also didn't have time to phase as Jonathan slammed into him from the back, tackling him to the ground. Momentarily stunned, Roland laid still for just enough time for Amber to grab the Hunter's arm.

"Oh! Oh!" Amber laughed excitedly. "Hold onto him!" Her blue eyes glowed brilliantly as arcs of green energy flowed out of Roland and up her arms. "We're going to get rid of that nasty Charismatic ability! I've always wanted to get a hold of an Arcadian who had this ability! It's so rare!'

"No!" Roland screamed, beginning to fight back, thrashing wildly to get Jonathan off him. "Stop!"

"What are you doing to him?" Jonathan held on, adjusting his grip as Roland moved, twisting the Hunter's arms behind his back.

"Taking his abilities so he can't cause any more problems for my family." Amber snarled, digging her fingers into Roland's arm to keep from losing contact. "You abused your abilities, and now I have you, and I will not tolerate you harming my family! Say goodbye to porting and phasing as freely. I'll let you keep the other things as they are, but you will never come to Blackwood again, do you hear me, Roland?"

Jonathan stared over Roland's shoulder, holding him securely. 'You can do things like that?"

"Of course I can," Amber laughed.

"What are you?" Jonathan stared at her in awe as Roland slumped in his arms.

"Nothing to be concerned about. I'm a friend to you, but not to him." Amber flicked her fingers with a satisfied smile. "Sadly, I don't get to keep his abilities and can not use them myself."

"What are you going to do with them?" Jonathan took a moment to check Roland's pulse.

"I will tell you all about it later. For now, I need to take him to Arawn." Amber's clothes changed from the dress to furs. "If you wouldn't mind." The illusion faded, and Jonathan sighed, once again surrounded by concrete walls and facing the bars of the cell.

Jonathan stepped through the door, turned around, and smiled. "I didn't bite him." The smile shifted to a frown. "But you're not going to tell Arawn about this, are you?"

"No," Amber sighed. "At some point, I will, but if I did, he would still keep you in here and probably put in cameras, then I couldn't visit at all."

"What's Arawn going to do with him?" Jonathan took a step back as the door slid closed and locked.

"Most likely, have a discussion with him and kick him out of Blackwood, permanently," replied Amber, leaning over Roland picking him up with surprisingly little effort. "I'll let you know when I get back." With a smug smile, Amber carried the Hunter through the wall, vanishing.

Jonathan sighed, backing up to sit on his cot, once again left by himself with so many more questions than he had ten minutes ago.

*

Five minutes.

In five minutes, Bog gained several months' worth of memories, and they were real, even if he knew they weren't. They weren't fake in the least, because he lived through them. The best part of these new memories was how clear they were. 

Bog smiled, taking a deep breath as Arawn sat back. They sat in the den, alone for the time being. Marianne was in her studio working, Zelda was in the front of the house with Sunny and Dawn. Following the memories, Bog needed a few minutes for his mind to settle and accept them. He ran both hands over the dark grey jogging pants he wore with a black tank top. In the cold of winter, it was an odd choice, but best for training.

"When ye get to my birthdays, can ye do something other than training? I want to enjoy my birthdays." Bog stated, flexing his fingers.

"Aye," replied Arawn, looking away, a pleased smile on his face. "I'll do the things with ye I wanted to do."

Bog's cheeks flushed pink, glancing at his father nervously. Again, this was his father, but he still felt like he barely knew him, and he was trusting him to poke around in his head. At the same time, the man terrified him. 

As a child, Bog didn't know his father was Arcadian, just that he could do things that needed to be kept secret. At the time, Bog was unaware of the different ability sets that went with each race and would not have been told for years about his full heritage. He understood why but didn't like it.

In the new memories, his father simply taught him to use his abilities and how to fight with them. They had repeated conversations, and Arawn corrected him in a much more fatherly way than he did when teaching him as an adult. Bog was aware of the difference and why now. 

Adult Bog meant he was behind in his training when he faced his father, and he had no choice but to treat him roughly. Teaching in Bog's memories had Arawn facing a small child, who still had decades to learn and was no threat to anyone. He was safe, training in the backyard or the forest, and Bog had often retreated to the nearby woods.

"Dad," Bog whispered unsurely, still wishing for more of the missing fatherly affection from his childhood. "Thank ye."

Arawn looked at him, running a hand through his short, well-trimmed beard, a gesture Bog witnessed his father repeatedly doing when thinking over something. "Bog, I can't risk interference again. Ye and yer mother are all I have in the world. We don't have any living relatives, not on my side of the family. I made a mistake when I severed ties with Arcadis and my people."

"Can't go back and fix that," stated Bog, leaning against the couch cushions.

"No, but I can make sure it never happens again." Arawn sat upright, looking at his son. "That begins with getting yer Arcadian registration and ID."

Bog responded by snorting and curling his lip at the thought. "I am not an Arcadian, Dad, I am a Lycean. I don't want to be…" he trailed off, realizing what he was saying as his father gave him a patient look.

"Ye are both Arcadian and Lycean, and ye need to embrace both sides, together, because it is who ye are." Arawn rose, arching his back, cracking it. "Ye are marrying a woman who has grown up as an Arcadian, Bog, believing she was an Arcadian her entire life, just like ye believed ye were only a Lycean. Those words are more than just words, they are yer heritage, and ye don't pick and choose. Ye accept the good and the bad."

"So, what are we, really?" Bog stood, slouching forward with his hands in his pockets. "Marianne's part Lycean and can't shift. I'm half Arcadian and not murderous…"

Arawn shot Bog a dirty look. "I am not a murderer, Bog. I've never been a murderer."

"What about before ye met mom?" Bog was already on the path, once again, and decided to take it. "Did ye kill Lyceans?"

"Bog." The heavy lines on Arawn's face smoothed, regarding his son. "I did. I killed so many Lyceans I've lost count, but I never did it without remembering they were men and women, someone's child. We are not the monsters ye think we are."

"That makes it better?" Bog scowled, having a difficult time looking at him.

"Ye don't know what it was like when Zelda and I were young, Bog. Life has been easy for ye and yer a spoiled brat," grunted Arawn, turning to the door.

"Would ye have killed Mom back then?" Bog had to ask.

"Yer mother is a complicated woman, Bog. She would never have been a target for me because she was not stupid. Zelda knew when to run and when to fight. She has her entire life, that's why she's still alive." Arawn seemed to be a little agitated, clenching and unclenching his gnarled, scarred hands as he spoke. "Ye go on like Lyceans are all innocent and pure, but ye don't know what it was like, Bog."

'How did you two end up together?" Bog stared at him, a little frightened to hear the answer, but it was a question he asked repeatedly.

"I had to hunt her," grumbled Arawn.

"Ye just said she would never have been a target for ye."

"She should have run from me, Bog." Arawn's agitation seemed to grow noticeably, triggering Bog to back off. He could feel his father's unusual emotions, they were so strong.

"Bog. Arawn." It was Zelda who broke their conversation, hurrying in from the kitchen. She looked from one to the other, the look on her face, one that Bog wasn't accustomed to seeing. Then he realized, she had sensed her husband's unease and come to rescue him from an uncomfortable conversation. "What are you two talking about?"

"Nothing, Mother." Bog withdrew immediately, casting a curious look at his father. He had reclaimed his emotions, but his hands were clenched into tight fists at his side, and Bog could not understand what he had done.

"I'll meet ye outside tae practice, Bog." Arawn glowered, heading to the back door.

"I'm going to let Marianne know what we're doing, in case she wants to watch." Bog turned to walk past his mother, and without looking at him, she snagged his arm, her tiny fingers digging into his flesh. Zelda said nothing, waiting for Arawn to close the door before turning on her son.

"What did you say to your father?" The tiny little woman pulled Bog's arm hard, throwing him off balance. "Bog, tell me. Now."

"I asked him how you met," said Bog, trying to remain upright as his mother gave him a withering glance.

"Bog," she growled, her brown eyes flashing with a golden light.

"I asked him if he would have killed you when ye were younger." Bog was terrified to even try to free his arm, the look in his mother's eyes was that severe. She took a deep breath, and for a moment, he thought he was about to get slapped in the face, even though she had never done such a thing to him in his entire life. 

Instead, Zelda's lips trembled, and her eyes glossed over. "How could you be so cruel, Bog? He's your father. He loves you so much."

"I, uh…" It was worse than if she had hit him. The tears fell in a deluge, streaming from the corners of her eyes.

"You need to think about exactly what you said, Son," stated Zelda mournfully. "I don't understand why you keep saying hurtful things to him. He's been ignoring them, but I've heard every one of them."

Bog clamped his mouth shut, staring at his mother glumly.

"I did this to you," she suddenly sighed. "I should have told you the truth. I'm sorry, Bog. I should have told you." Then she let him go and wrapped her arms around his waist, crying into him. Bog stood, bewildered, and confused about what was going on. "When you say things like that to Arawn, you remind him that he didn't meet me when we were younger, that he spent hundreds of years alone. That he hunted the very thing, he came to love, and maybe, just maybe, if things hadn't been the way they were, we would have found each other faster."

Zelda paused to catch her breath before continuing, "Think about it, Bog, I ran more than I fought. We all ran from Hunters like him. It was the smart thing to do when there was no reason to fight. What he is, sent me in the opposite direction."

"Mother." Bog put his arms around her shoulders, leaning over her to try to comfort her. "I swear, I won't say it again."

"I mistreated your father, so many times," Zelda sobbed. "On occasion, I would remind him who he was, and it always hurt him. I knew better, but I would still do it. Then he was gone! That man loves us with all his heart, and it's more pure and innocent than our own draw. It always has been."

"I'm sorry." Bog tried, feeling awful for what he had been doing. He stood for a few minutes longer, his mother crying against him, trying hard not to do the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bog and his father, still have a thing between them they're trying to sort out and I love exploring it. :D
> 
> Have a good weekend! It's Independence Day weekend for us in the states!


	21. November 26th - Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time of judgment has come.

Marianne sat at her desk, trying to put the final touches on one of her final projects. The sight through her window was far more interesting than the static art on her computer screen. Arawn was outside, beating up one of the large trees in the backyard with his fists. He was hitting the tree so hard, the branches shook.

Bog was nowhere in sight and hadn’t come up to tell her they were training. Her fiance was good about asking her if she wanted to watch him spar. A subdued knock sounded on her studio door.

“Come in?” Marianne settled into her chair, turning to see who was at the door.

“Thanks.” Bog slipped inside and closed the door behind him. He crossed the room quickly, leaning down to wrap her in his arms, and she didn’t say anything, realizing this wasn’t how he usually hugged her.

“Bog, are you okay?” She ran her hands into his hair, ruffling the thick black locks. “Sweetie, what’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry, love,” grumbled Bog, burying his face against her neck. “This month has been exhausting, and I’ve made so many mistakes and hurt everyone I love.”

“What?” Marianne laughed, dropping her hands to begin tickling him beneath his arms, causing him to flinch back and snort-giggle. “What’s my bad wuffy been doing?”

“Bad wuffy?” Bog laughed, momentarily distracted.

“My Bad Wolf,” giggled Marianne, moving with him to continue the tickling as he scrambled back.

Bog’s long legs tangled, and he crashed to the ground on his back with Marianne pouncing on him, laughing louder as she pinned him. On a whim, she scooted over him, leaned over, and licked his cheek, which brought out a body-shaking laugh. She smiled, glad to see he wasn’t holding onto whatever it was that was bringing him down.

“I love ye, Marianne.” He lifted his hands, caressing the sides of her face as he looked at her adoringly. “Why are our lives so complicated when they shouldn’t be?”

“Well, you’re pretty much a king, with a kingdom, an annoying threat, which I brought here,” Marianne spoke, lifting a hand over one of his, leaning her cheek into his palm. “Everything isn’t your fault, you know.”

“Ye brought my father to me.” Bog’s bright blue eyes seemed to gleam thoughtfully. “I’m tired of waiting for Roland to do something. If we keep this up, we’re going to be watching our backs at our wedding, and I don’t want that threat hanging over us.”

“What can we do? I have no ideas, I mean, Arawn is probably keeping him away, but he can’t stay here forever.” Marianne shifted to lay on top of Bog, her head resting just below his. “I don’t believe Roland will just give up.”

“We need to lure him out into the open,” grumbled Bog, staring up at the studio ceiling, studying the wooden planks. “Set up a trap.”

“You need to relax.” Marianne ran her fingers lightly over Bog’s chest, and he closed his eyes in response, sighing. “How are you a werewolf and not the least bit hairy?” She teasingly slipped her fingers beneath the tank top, stroking his chest.

Bog gave a breathy laugh, his voice turning nervous as he gently grabbed her hands and attempted to wriggle out from under her. “We have less than a month until the wedding.” He stated reluctantly.

“Twenty-two days,” stated Marianne, sliding back to sit on the floor. “I have it on my calendar.” 

Bog stared at her for a moment, giving her a crooked smile. “It’s on my calendar too, with a reminder five minutes before the event.”

“Are you nervous?”

“Are ye?”

“I’d be lying if I said no.” Marianne took a deep breath. “Living in the same house is a little overwhelming.”

“Probably stress we don’t need.” Bog frowned, bending his legs in front of him so he could lean his arms over them. “The house won’t be done for another week, and then they need to furnish it. I’m sorry we all ended up in your house.”

“It’s not that bad, it’s just that for most of the year, it was just me.” Marianne crossed her legs, clasping her hands in front of her, her smile fading away. “I’m trying very hard not to snap at anyone, get angry, or irritated, and just go with it, knowing it’s temporary.”

“That’s not really you,” chuckled Bog. “But we all appreciate the effort.”

“I know.” She lifted her eyes to meet Bog’s. “But with everyone all around us, I’m afraid I’m not being me, and we’ve only known each other a couple of months.”

Bog stared at her, his lip curling into a brief sneer, reaching a long arm out to poke her in the stomach, eliciting a giggle. “Are ye trying to say yer not being real in front of me?” He began laughing.

“What? It’s true!” Marianne shot back in a huff.

“Ye do realize, ye already lived next door since January, and I got to know ye real well!” Bog laughed louder.

Marianne glared at him, jutting her lower lip out. “What? We didn’t do anything together or really get to know each other.”

“Ye think I didn’t see the real you, every time you came over to my home, talked to my mother, who would then tell me everything you talked about? Every time ye came over to my house to yell at me? Every time we’d talk, just a few minutes, over the months?” Bog grinned as he spoke, “Every time ye said hi, even though ye didn’t have to. I know how I was. Ye were terrifying to me, and I couldn’t speak to ye, but there were times ye were also nice to me. When I had that awful night and had no idea what was going on. I could have died in that brief amount of time, but ye took me home.”

“I don’t like thinking about that night,” sighed Marianne, offering him a small smile. “I was so mad at you.” She rubbed over her eyes quickly with the back of her hand. “And I was so worried about you and your mother.”

“I’m not that complicated.” Bog settled back, dropping his arms to his sides to brace himself as he stretched. “What ye see is what ye get.”

“I know, except those parts that you didn’t even know you had.” Her eyes danced, and she regarded him for a moment, this absolutely beautiful man who was all hers. Right there, behind closed doors, stretching in preparation for his training session with Arawn.

Every muscle in his chest and torso were on display beneath the snug black tank, more defined than they had been, due to his daily workouts with his father. And he was stretching himself in a way that she was sure just stretching to loosen up. She stared, biting her lower lip, studying his long sinewy arms, and then he did something to top it all, rolling his neck to show off the length and muscles in that slender column. 

It was all in innocence, but something about it hit Marianne in just the right spot, especially when he twisted his neck again, and it cracked. She wasn’t sure what it was about that sound, but she had to get up and move away. Watching him stretch was too much.

“Want to watch my dad beat me up?” Bog rose, kneeling forward to touch his fingertips to his shoes.

“Not this morning. It’s cold outside, and he’s just going to make me participate.” Marianne made a face, then she smiled. “Bog, I love you.” She stepped up to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I’m glad you’re comfortable enough to come to me when something is troubling you. Please, don’t hold back.”

“Thank ye, love,” rumbled Bog, burying his face into her hair, squeezing her against him. “I swear to ye, we’ll have all the privacy we need on our wedding night. I’m making special arrangements for the week after too. Just me and ye.”

“Great, and we also need to decide on our honeymoon and when we’ll take it and where we’re going.” Marianne squeezed him back, giggling as his hands slid down her back and to her hips.

“Yer dad’s paying,” sighed Bog.

“Two weeks, anywhere. We have enough to think about right now,” said Marianne, pulling away to gaze up at Bog. “Arawn’s going to turn that tree into toothpicks by the time you get out there.”

“Better the tree than me.” Bog winced, looking out the studio window at the tree Arawn was still hitting with his fists. There was a noticeable gouge in the massive trunk.

“As a reminder, I am in the room.” Titania’s voice came from somewhere in the room.

“Right.” Bog and Marianne stated at the same time, taking a step in the opposite directions, their faces red, knowing the Hellhound had heard every word they said when they thought they were alone.

“Bad wuffy,” Titania laughed. “I can’t wait to tell Arawn.”

“Please, no, don’t do that!” Bog exclaimed, looking around for the dog.

“Titania,” Marianne groaned. “Don’t embarrass Bog.”

“Oh, he does a good job of embarrassing himself.” Titania cackled.

Bog opened his mouth to say something, glaring around the room, only to be cut off by the sound of the doorbell.

“I’ll get it.” Bog spun on his heels, heading for the door, glad for the interruption. 

“Expecting someone?” Marianne quirked an eyebrow at him, following after.

*

Dawn beat everyone to the door and stood with it open, staring at what was on the other side, letting in a steady stream of cold air. When Bog saw her, he picked up his step down the stairs in concern, rushing up behind her.

“Good morning, Bog.” Amber greeted with a smile, her hand wrapped around a very annoyed looking Roland’s wrist. “I brought you a gift.”

“That’s not a gift, that’s a cursed object,” snorted Bog, placing his hands on Dawn’s shoulders to move her aside. “Dawn, go get Arawn so we can deal with him.” She nodded and walked off without saying anything.

“I should punch you in that smug face of yours,” snarled Bog, stepping aside to let Amber and Roland walk inside. The sight of the Hunter brought out the need to visit wrath on him, however, in Amber’s grasp, he knew there was no need to do anything. He just wanted to.

A sharp gasp rose behind Bog, coming from the stairs, reminding him Marianne had followed him. He turned in time to see her flying down the last few steps with her arm pulled back.

“No, Marianne.” Bog grabbed her around the waist before she could get past him.

“Let me go, Bog!” Marianne screamed, flailing her arms in an effort to get to Roland.

“Seriously, Marianne, relax. I’m done,” sighed Roland, just out of her reach. “I surrender.”

“I took away his abilities,” Amber said in a singsong voice. “Well, the main one. He’ll eventually get his phase and portal ability back, but never as strong as they were.”

“Wow.” Marianne stopped trying to get out of Bog’s grasp, and he let her go. “That’s amazing.”

Roland frowned, shoulders slumped forward as he stood next to Amber. Marianne stared at him, with Bog next to her, his arm resting loosely around her shoulders. A low growl sounded from the air near the stairs, the sound moving past Bog and Marianne.

Within moments, the front living room became filled with people as first, Zelda ran in from the kitchen, then the back door slammed, and Arawn joined them, Sunny and Dawn close behind him. Arawn smiled the moment he saw the subdued Hunter in Amber’s hands.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Arawn stopped in front of Roland, and his smile turned into a sneer. “Amber, ye caught him snooping around the farmhouse?”

“I did,” stated Amber proudly. “And I took away his charismatic ability, and he can’t portal or phase at all for a few months.”

“Hah! Good job, Amber!” Arawn crowed excitedly, glancing at Bog and Marianne. “Okay, now we’re going to have a little discussion about yer future, Roland.”

At this, Roland looked up, staring at Arawn in horror as the tall Hunter leaned down into his face with a growl. There was nowhere for him to go. Roland’s face went paler than it already was, and he cringed away.

“Ye know how easy it would be to make ye disappear, Roland?” Arawn bared his teeth at Roland, whose eyes widened considerably more. “And how much of a right I have to do that, considering what ye have done to my family?

“I swear, I’m done, sir,” Roland whimpered, surrounded by people who had every right to do their worst to him. “It isn’t worth it. I’ve already paid a high price, and I just want to go home, see my family, and get away from Blackwood.”

Arawn looked to Bog and Marianne. “What do you two say? He’s had everything removed that’s a threat.”

“How can we trust him?” Marianne stepped forward, her anger surging again. She turned her fury on Roland, wagging a finger in his face. “You had every chance to leave us alone, and you terrorized us, burned Bog’s house down, and you want us just to turn you loose and believe you won’t try anything else?”

“Marianne.” Roland lifted his head to meet her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo... and with that, the biggest threat to Bog and Marianne has been eliminated!


	22. November 26th - Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roland makes quite a few observations, captured and defeated by wary enemies who would honestly kinda like to see him dead... when the one person who typically would be all for treating Hunters that way, turns out to be annoyingly considerate.

For the first time in his life, Roland felt defeat. He was a mess, disheveled, and stunk so bad of sweat and desperation that Bog hauled him to the bathroom and instructed him to shower while Sunny went to grab something somewhat suitable and clean to toss on him.

There was no escape, and they would discuss what would happen to him when their lie detector showed up. Roland showered slowly, enjoying the warm water despite the situation he found himself in. It might be the last shower he had in who knows how long and after his stays in bad hotels and sleeping in his car, it was welcome.

It wasn’t worth it.

Marianne had moved on, and he wasn’t even sure why he had persisted as long as he had. Losing his abilities was the smack of reality he needed. That thing out there could have killed him. He wasn’t sure what she was, but he was terrified of being around her and glad that unnaturally powerful hand was no longer holding him.

Maybe it was seeing Bog with Marianne that triggered him to want to take her back. Her bloodline was valuable, but at this point, it wasn’t worth the price he had paid. There were far more beautiful women that he could have, and they would welcome him. He was still a Hunter, but he would never step foot in Blackwood again. That was definite.

Roland scowled, washing the grime from his hair, rinsing it before applying the fruity-smelling cheap shampoo available. The Hunter sighed, looking down at himself, over a body which any woman would die for, the realization of exactly why he wanted Marianne. It was because she didn’t consider him worthy of her when she was so plain in his eyes. Yes, she was cute and fiery, and that attracted him, but not as much as the thought of the powerful children he would have fathered with her.

And that was another thing. His eyes had been set on the fame of having sons and daughters surrounding him, a family of his own. He did want that as many people did, but maybe for the wrong reasons. Reality kept smacking him around as thought after thought flowed into his mind.

Marianne found a worthier man who was physically inferior. And he was a Lycean. Or was he an Arcadian? In any case, he was a king and a dangerous creature that had somehow captured Marianne’s heart. Over the years, Roland had killed so many of them, and now, he was at their mercy, at the mercy of a king.

He never thought of them as being human. They were just monsters to be taken care of, and he hated them, especially Bog. Still, this king appeared to give him a kindness he didn’t deserve—a stupid shower, which Roland was enjoying a little more than he wanted to admit. Tiny cracks in his resolve began spreading.

Arawn could not be outsmarted. He apparently had a family here, and the little red-headed woman was also not to be messed with. Then there was Marianne, with her astounding abilities who would fight him every inch of the way if he tried anything. Finally, there was Bog. He was a god, just like his parents, just like Marianne.

Roland was in the household of four gods, four powerful beings that were more powerful than he was, smarter, and stuck together. What was he? An ant. For a moment, he considered. An ant could still kill a human; however, again, he was an ant among gods.

This was it. He would ask for their forgiveness, swear to them he would never tell anyone about them, and go on with his life as a Hunter. He even had a face in his mind of a woman who would take him back immediately, if he could avoid being imprisoned. Right now, he wanted nothing more than a good meal, drink, and to be in the arms of a woman who would fawn over him and do whatever he said.

That woman was not Marianne.

Let her go.

Let this all go.

Roland stared at the water going down the drain. 

Yes, he was done.

*

“Paper plate, plastic cup,” growled Bog, shadowing his mother as she made a sandwich for Roland.

“I know what I’m doing,” grunted Zelda. “You know, if you want an excuse to kill him, give him a butter knife and see what he does.”

“Why are we feeding him?!’ Marianne’s voice rose to a frustrated whine. “Let him starve!”

“Prisoner or not, he is our guest until you do whatever it is you’re going to do to him,” Zelda stated, cutting the thick ham sandwich in half.

“Can ye make me one too?” Bog leaned over on the counter, smiling at his mother.

“Certainly. Anyone else hungry?” Zelda put the sandwich on a plate and began on another one, slapping down slices of thick homemade bread. “We should be good hosts, and if someone is hungry, enemy or not, feed them. Offer them drink. Show them you can be kind.”

“Ye eat people.” Bog rolled his eyes at his mother.

“If they give me a reason, yes,” Zelda laughed like it was funny. Bog and Marianne stared at her. “Someone trying to kill you is fair game, and if you’re hungry, it’s just meat.”

“It’s a person,” sighed Bog, curling a lip at the thought of actually eating a human.

His mother stopped what she was doing and turned to her son, smiling at him. “Bog, let’s hope you never have to be in a situation where eating someone is a life or death decision.”

“Lyceans don’t regularly eat people, do they?” Marianne gave Bog a curious look.

“Not in this day and age. We have morals,” groaned Bog, turning away from his mother.

“I have morals.” Zelda turned back to the sandwich she was preparing. “I only eat adults who have attempted to kill me.”

“Did dad try to kill ye?” Bog turned to her suddenly, whispering as his eyes went to do the door to the kitchen. Arawn was waiting for Roland outside the bathroom and could walk in at any moment.

“Mmhmm, he did.” Zelda giggled and had this strange look on her face that made Bog hold back, pursuing that line of questioning any further.

“Yuck, why do ye have to turn everything into innuendo?” Bog groaned, walking to where Marianne sat at the kitchen table, glaring at the paper plate and cup set out for Roland. He leaned over her to hug her, kissing the top of her head. 

“No, Bogdan, your father did not try to kill me,” chuckled Zelda. “I would never let a Hunter close enough to try, but you see, your father, he found a very naked woman and not a Lycean wolf.”

“Mother,” groaned Bog.

“You two are healthy, young adults who were technically married the moment you kissed by Lycean standards, then you stopped right there.” Zelda finished making the sandwich, cut it, and brought it over to them, giving them a sad look. “Why are you waiting? You are going to be together forever. That’s how it works.”

Bog frowned, pulling up a chair to sit next to Marianne. He picked up half the sandwich, not at all pleased with his mother asking him that question in front of Marianne. Still, Zelda stood by the table, expecting an answer as she looked from Bog to Marianne and back again. Bog looked at Marianne, hoping his mother would get the point and back off.

“I’m not ready.” Marianne came to Bog’s rescue, taking the other half of his sandwich. “And I don’t think he is either.” She smiled at him, and he nodded slowly, still not looking at his mother. “It means a lot to me that Bog doesn’t push me or even ask. He’s so sweet and considerate. I love him so much for being patient with me.”

“I see. Kids these days are so much more complicated than when I was young.” Zelda smiled, then added, “When are you planning on having children?”

Bog almost choked on his sandwich. Marianne didn’t miss a beat, smacking him hard on the back as he coughed and glared at his mother.

“We’re not discussing that for a while.” Marianne began rubbing Bog’s back as he tried to find his voice. “I am not ready for kids, and besides, we’re going to welcome Sunny and Dawn’s twins next summer, so that’s plenty of babies.”

Zelda sighed, looking at them again, her smile fading into a frown. “Don’t wait too long. You will regret it.”

“Mom, please, yer asking really personal questions,” stated Bog, finally able to speak. “We don’t live in that kind of world anymore.”

“No, you don’t… and your father wasn’t taken from you for almost four decades, was he?” Zelda growled, pointing out the most severe truth she had at her disposal. 

Bog looked at Marianne, grimacing, “Let us do what works for us, Mother.”

Zelda gave a big resigned sigh, then looked to the kitchen door. Roland walked into the kitchen with Arawn immediately behind him. The clothes the younger Hunter wore were a little too small, an old grey sweater and faded blue sweatpants. He was barefoot and looked uncomfortable as he stopped just inside the kitchen.

“Take the seat and enjoy my wife’s cooking.” Arawn prodded Roland forward with his hand. “Ye don’t deserve it, but ye look awful.”

Roland nodded, glancing at Bog and Marianne, sitting on the other side of the table. He took his seat and sat, staring at the sandwich, as though perplexed about how it worked. Arawn remained standing nearby while Zelda returned to the cabinet.

“Would you like a sandwich, Arawn?” She asked, preparing to make another one.

“No.” Arawn shook his head, adding, “Later, Zelda.”

Roland picked up the sandwich, careful not to look like he appreciated it or anything. The smell of the bread, combined with mayonnaise, a thick slice of ham, swiss cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes, triggered Roland’s stomach, a growl which rose loudly in the quiet kitchen. In response, Zelda began making another sandwich.

“So, life not treating ye well, Roland?” Arawn chuckled as the younger Hunter took a bite of his sandwich. Marianne and Bog took bites of their sandwiches at the same time, quietly chewing and watching Roland warily. “Was it worth it? Throwing away all those abilities because ye abused them out of what, jealousy?”

“Can you just tell me what you want, and we’ll get to the part of me doing whatever it is so I can get out of your town?” Roland took another bite of the sandwich, closing his eyes and wishing they would all vanish so he could enjoy the best food he had tasted in days.

“I need someone here who can validate exactly what ye are feeling and how truthful ye are. Yer mind has been messed with enough, and if I have tae go in there and do anything, yer not going to like it. That, and honestly, I don’t want tae see any more of yer thoughts than I have tae.”

“You’re not going to send me to prison, are you? I know, I know I deserve it.” Roland drummed his fingers on the table nervously. “I can’t go to prison.”

“Well, yeah, ye are a coward, so ye wouldn’t last long there.” Arawn chuckled. “But ye deserve it, don’t ye?”

“I swear, I won’t tell anyone what happened here. Let me go. I’ll go home, say goodbye to my family, then leave. I’ll go to Europe or South America. I need to track down a friend and see where they are.” Roland began talking in between bites of the sandwich.

“A friend yer going to plot with and bring back here to try again?” Arawn studied Roland’s face as he scowled.

“No, a woman, if you must know. Someone who appreciates me.” Roland took a drink of his tea, then went back to the sandwich.

“Appreciates you,” snorted Marianne.

Roland ate in silence, and Zelda placed a second sandwich on the plate when he was done. Everyone else remained where they were, watching him closely, as though he were going to attempt to escape right before their eyes.

“Thank you,” Roland stated, nodding to Zelda as she filled his cup with more tea. He wasn’t sure what to make of them feeding him, but he had been too hungry to question it. It was possible they poisoned him and were waiting for him to die a horrible, agonizing death before them.

As far as Roland was concerned, a good, final meal, as simple as it was, was worth the possibility. He wasn’t accustomed to going without anything. Then… there was pie. Zelda placed a warmed slice of apple pie in front of Roland, going a step too far in Arawn, Bog, and Marianne’s eyes as they glared at her.

Zelda went about cleaning up, while Roland dug into the desert with a plastic fork with far too much gusto. Full of good food, their food, he actually began smiling, feeling more at ease. Bog and Marianne watched in disgust.

The doorbell rang, and Arawn hurried off to answer it without a word. A moment later, he returned with Kyler in tow. The young Lycean was bundled up against the cold in a heavy winter coat. Around his neck was a fuzzy, shivering black collar, the little black servant dragon he typically had with him.

“Let’s begin, shall we?” Arawn pulled up a chair next to Roland, motioning for Kyler to sit, then walked to the other side.

“Pie!” Fudge hopped off Kyler’s shoulder and stopped at the edge of Roland’s plate, staring up at him, blue eyes wide in a full begging posture. Roland stared at the Famliarsis for a moment, then pushed the plate and the last few bites of pie toward him. With a squeal, Fudge dove into the leftovers.

“Wash your hands er, paws when you’re done, Fudge,” Kyler sighed, settling into the chair and looking at Roland. Arawn set another chair on Roland’s other side while Zelda cleaned off the table, beckoning for the little fuzzy ferret-dragon to climb onto her arm. She walked away with him, whispering sweetly under her breath.

“And now, it’s time to answer a few questions,” stated Arawn, glaring at Roland.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zelda... hahaha... I love her SO MUCH.  
I hope this is enjoyed. I'm eagerly waiting for two weeks from now when I drop in... a huge surprise.. bahahahaha...  
It's been so quiet lately. BTW, I am working on other fics... it's just that they're being posted to discord instead of here as more private updates. Come join us on Discord! It's in my profile.  
Leave a comment, that would be nice too!  
\- Tiff


	23. November 26th - Part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roland is taken care of and things look to be settling in a more normal direction with the upcoming wedding.

Marianne leaned forward, one of Bog’s long arms wrapped around her waist, fingers curling into her sweater. She knew why he did it, half comfort, half to keep her from hurtling across the table. Roland, the man who had tormented her for the last two years, sat on the other side of the table, at their mercy. 

No one would blame her if she got at least one good punch in. It didn’t matter how broken and defeated he looked; she wanted to hurt him. Anything she did to him would be a fraction of what he did to her. She was so angry and tired, so very tired.

“For what ye did to my Marianne, dragging her through court for what ye did to her, ye should pay for that, by returning every cent she paid ye. Ye didn’t even need the money. Ye just did it to hurt her,” Arawn began, and Roland nodded.

“When my accounts are unfrozen, I’ll return it,” stated Roland.

“He will.” Kyler nodded to Arawn, confirming that Roland was telling the truth.

The weight that lifted off Marianne was extraordinary. Even if she didn’t have to worry about finances anymore, that judgment had been wrong from the start and always felt like a slam in the face on top of what he tried to do to her.

“Ye swear tae never step foot in Blackwood. Ye avoid all contact with the Lairds and Kings,” continued Arawn.

“I do. I never want to see this place again or any of you.” Roland looked at Bog and Marianne, then back to the table. “I swear, I am done. I just want to go home and go on with my life, if you allow it.”

“He’s telling the truth.” Kyler nodded to Arawn, confirming Roland’s words.

“So now we come tae, what are we doing with ye, Roland? Ye see, my choices do not include official imprisonment, for valid reasons, so I’m going tae make a deal with ye that keeps ye out of jail and wandering free.” Arawn glared at Roland. “Do not lie, because my choices are tae let ye go of yer own free will, put ye in a deep dark hole, or simply save myself the trouble and execute ye as I have the right tae do.”

Roland swallowed. “Anything. I’ll do anything you want.”

“Ye leave, go home, spend Thanksgiving with yer family. I lift all the warrants and note ye dealt with by my hand. Then yer going to get on a plane with the Kanes. I’ve already spoken with them, and they’re going on a hunt for legitimate bounties in Germany.” Arawn growled as he spoke, laying out the plan, “Ye keep doing what ye were trained tae do, but ye are never tae come back here, and if I catch ye ever stepping outside the bounties listed, I will come looking for ye. Legal bounties only.”

“Yes, sir. I will only hunt legal bounties, nothing more. I’ll leave. I swear, I will not cross the line.” Roland quickly agreed, “I swear.”

“Truth,” stated Kyler, nodding.

“Yer too much of a coward tae step out of line. I know yer type.” Arawn scowled. “I’ll get yer friends down here shortly and take care of the other things. Sit here for a bit while I make the arrangements. Ye can go now, Kyler. Thanks for making the trip.”

“No problem.” Kyler scooted the chair away from Roland, looking at Bog and Marianne. “I, uh, am going to find Fudge and go. Don’t kill him.” Bog and Marianne snorted simultaneously in response, then exchanged an amused smile.

“We’re not going to kill him, but we are going to have final words.” Bog waved Kyler to the door as he got up. Marianne rose, and the pair of them walked to take the chairs sitting on either side of Roland. Kyler sighed and walked out of the room.

“Look, I have nothing to say. I already apologized,” muttered Roland, looking from the towering monster on one side to the smoldering fire goddess on his other. “I am sorry?” He nervously glanced back and forth.

They sat for a moment, glaring at Roland, who began nervously tapping his fingers on the table. 

“I just want to know, why did ye do this? Ye obviously have had a great life,” Bog began, curiously, sincerely wanting to know. “What makes someone like ye go as far as ye did? Ye burned down my house, and for what? We spared yer life. We let ye go.”

“Why did you track me down in the first place? You never really wanted me. Revenge? You were the one who attacked me, remember?” Marianne continued, watching Roland wince and make faces at their simple questions. “You cheated on me, lied, denied it, and couldn’t go on with your life. I was never important to you, not really.” Marianne’s expression broke, and Bog looked at her in concern, while Roland glared at the table.

“Jealousy,” admitted Roland through clenched teeth. “Ambition. Look, I know what I did. It wasn’t worth the price I paid.”

“Just remember, leave us alone,” growled Bog in full threat. “Under no circumstances do I ever want to see ye again.”

“Don’t worry. You won’t.” Roland lifted his head to look Bog in the eyes. “Never again.”

*

In a little under an hour, the Kanes arrived and took Roland with them. The moment Roland was truly gone, the atmosphere in the cozy little home improved immensely. There was no longer a constant fear of someone sneaking inside, going after Marianne, and they were free to enjoy the preparations for Thanksgiving.

Marianne cuddled up to Bog in a comfortable couch in the front living room, alone. The rest of the family could be heard talking and laughing in the den on the other side of the house. They sat in silence, enjoying steaming cups of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows.

“I turned in my last project,” stated Marianne, snuggling into Bog’s warmth. “And I told all my clients I’d let them know when I’m available again in the future. I’m looking forward to a long vacation. How about your work?”

“Let everyone know about the fire, so they were understandable. Finished the last contract I had and put the others on hold. I’ll have a few things to do in a couple of months.”

“So even though we’re not going anywhere, we’ll have plenty of time to ourselves?” 

Bog sighed, “I uhm, there are some other things that need to be seen to, which we’ll get to on Thanksgiving when the town is gathered together.”

“Oh?”

“I need to introduce ye and yer family,” stated Bog, squeezing his arm around her gently. “Some of my people may not be as welcoming to ye, but most will. At the moment, they believe ye are ordinary humans, not Arcadians.”

Marianne’s eyes widened, the reality hitting her fully. This was something that was going to have to be done, and she was not looking forward to it. “So there will be hundreds of people there, finding out Joy and I are Arcadians, Lyceans, and Atlanteans who, don’t take this the wrong way, hate us just as much as you do.”

She felt Bog wince, then squeeze her tightly. “I’ve changed my mind, and hate is a strong word. Fear, yes, most of them just fear ye, but we’ll also tell them yer half Lycean, and I am also half Arcadian.”

“Is it a good idea?” Marianne worried her lower lip, reaching for her mug of hot chocolate.

“Look what happened when my mother tried to hide the truth. Whatever happens, happens. I am their king, something they feel and know,” stated Bog, resting his chin on Marianne’s shoulder. “Lyceans feel. That’s what they do. We run on emotions and instincts, sometimes stupidly so. We are not complicated. What I say goes. They have no doubts about who I am, and if my instincts and draw have chosen an Arcadian, they will accept it. The Atlanteans, on the other hand…” Bog sighed.

“It’s going to be harder to sell them on us, isn’t it?” Marianne sipped her hot chocolate. “Arcadians almost wiped them out, then began using them. My father pretty much adopted Sunny when he was a child. Brought him into our household and raised him with Dawn.”

“I’m sure that went over well when they decided to get married,” chuckled Bog.

“Dad was furious,” laughed Marianne, finding a little amusement in the situation. “Although, I think he was more confused than furious. He never saw it coming. I did. Because I caught them making out several times around the house. They were awful at being discreet.”

“They seem good together.” Bog leaned back against the couch cushions, gazing into the fireplace. “I’m sure they’ll be glad to have this house to themselves in a few months.”

“Yeah. It’s nice having everyone here, but there’s not much space for being alone for anyone.”

“Doesn’t seem to bother my parents,” moaned Bog, retrieving his cup of hot chocolate from the coffee table. 

“I think it’s sweet.” Marianne smiled, leaning against Bog again, running her fingers over her mug. “They love each other so much, and they haven’t seen each other in decades and just picked up right where they left off, didn’t they?”

“Yes, they were like that when I was a kid too, but they were more discreet.” Bog nodded. He went silent for a moment, then added. “Marianne, ye do want to marry me?”

“You asked, I said yes,” she groaned in reply, throwing her head back to hit him in the chest, giving him an annoyed look. “Why would you ask me that?”

“Making sure?” Bog smiled at her. “If ye have any doubts, please, don’t go through with it.”

“I don’t have any doubts!” Marianne’s voice rose, and she huffed at Bog, “I love you, Bog. I’ve loved you as long as you’ve loved me, remember. I am half Lycean, and that side of me pointed to you and said, there is a good man, the perfect man, just right for you. And I said, shut up, you don’t know what you’re talking about, he’s crazy!” Then she began laughing, and Bog laughed with her, his blue eyes dancing with a merry light.

“Ye are too good to be true, that’s all,” admitted Bog, giving her a lopsided grin. “I love ye, love. Let’s take it easy, get through Thanksgiving, and only have a few weeks until the wedding. Want to go Christmas shopping on Black Friday? We can get up early, hit all the stores before they open.”

“Bleah, Black Friday shopping is not for me.” Marianne stuck her tongue out in disgust. 

“Blackwood’s stores don’t open until noon on Black Friday, and I have a key that opens every door. That’s why I said we’d go to them before they open.” Bog took another breath, inhaling Marianne’s delightful scent. “We won’t bother anyone. I’ll let everyone know what we’re doing and leave the tags on the counter so ye can pay for it all that money yer getting back. Yer treat.”

Marianne laughed again, running a hand over Bog’s hand. “Completely private shopping event, huh? Can Sunny and Dawn come?”

“Whatever ye like, then I’ll arrange for brunch out.” Bog began nibbling on the top of her ear, unable to resist with her in his arms. “The ways I want to show ye I love ye,” he whispered, his warm breath passing from her ear to her neck.

Marianne shivered, and he kissed her cheek, then stopped, taking a deep breath. “No rush, Bog. There’s no rush. Besides, pretty sure Titania’s laying in front of the fireplace.”

“Seriously?” Bog scowled, looking at the fireplace and the rug in front of it. There was a curve in it, just the right size for a dog to lay in. 

Titania giggled, coming into view, laying on her back with her head angled toward them, her tongue lolling out of the side. Her wavy blue and white coat was spread out around her, glowing golden with light from the fireplace. She wriggled her stub of a tail, sending waves of fur flopping back and forth in a comical fashion.

“Why don’t ye go follow my father around?” Bog grumbled, running a hand over his face in annoyance. “Yer his dog.”

“Technically, I am the family dog,” The Hellhound laughed. “And the den is crowded and noisy. You two are quiet.”

Marianne grinned and patted the cushion next to her, inviting Titania to join them. She rolled to her feet and bounced up onto the couch, crawling across Marianne and Bog’s laps to lay her head on Bog’s arm, draped fully over them. Then she rolled over on her side, throwing herself closer to them, waiting for attention.

“I’ve never had a dog before.” Bog lifted his hand as Titania tilted her head, shoving her muzzle into his arm. “I’ve always wanted one.” He tentatively dropped his hand, stroking his fingers over Titania’s soft floppy ears and the silky, crimped fur surrounding them.

“Thankfully, they don’t mind being treated like dogs.” Marianne leaned against Bog again, running her hand down Titania’s sides. “Because you really can’t resist.”

“It’s a perk,” growled Titania, her lips pulling back into a smile. She sighed and laid her head down, eyes closing as fingers stroked soothingly through her thick fur.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh... everything looks so nice and sweet.. just like an ending... :D


	24. November 28th Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone new arrives to celebrate Thanksgiving with the Lairds, and that someone isn't entirely welcome.

Thanksgiving morning found the Lairds and Kings rushing through their home making preparations. Arawn left before sunrise to run errands. Marianne volunteered to pick up donuts and coffee for everyone and was out the door by herself, while Bog slept in a few more minutes, taking over her bed the moment she left it.

He looked comical, spread out over a bed that was too small for him, his arms and legs hanging off the edges. Bog didn’t even bother trying to lay on it correctly, falling on his stomach and smiling at the fact the bed was still warm and smelled of Marianne.

Marianne smiled, closing the door to let him sleep. She left half an hour later after a quick shower, full of nervous, anxious energy. Zelda was up, baking a massive amount of bread and muffins. Loaves of wrapped bread were already wrapped and piled into bins to take out in a few hours. Sunny and Dawn were hard at work, mixing up more dough and cleaning pans.

Zelda gave Marianne the address of the shop she was to go to, one of the few places that was open for a few hours that morning. Sunny carried one of the totes to the front living room. He was taking a second when the doorbell rang.

Confused about who would be visiting this early in the morning, Sunny answered the door with a cheery, “Hello?” 

“Good morning.” A beautiful Japanese woman stood on the other side of the door, and Sunny was noticeably confused, having never seen her before in his life. She gave him the most charming smile he had ever seen, her green eyes squinting and sparkling. Everything about her seemed to glow, and Sunny’s mind temporarily ceased functioning.

She had long, perfectly straight black hair and wore a dark pink tunic beneath a flowing kimono style top that was currently open. Pink flowers decorated the top, strewn over a black background. Black, skintight leggings and thigh-high leather boots completed her outfit, and Sunny stared, fixated at her visage.

“Kayda!” Zelda pushed past Sunny, giving him a gentle shove to the side.

“Zelda!” the young woman greeted, her voice rising into a slight squeal. She walked inside and hugged Zelda like an old friend. “So glad to see you!”

Sunny blinked at them, still in a daze. Zelda glanced at him, then scolded Kayda, “There is no need to have your glamour up, Kayda. We’re all friends here.”

“Certainly.” Kayda grinned, waving a hand at Sunny. He blinked again, as though clearing a fog.

“Sunny, this is Kayda Nomura. I invited her to join us for Thanksgiving dinner and help with the wedding plans.” Zelda quickly introduced them.

“I can’t wait to see what kind of woman Bog attracted. It took him so long.” Kayda glanced around the house. “What happened to your house? I was a little confused when I drove up, and it was gone.”

“Long story,” Zelda sighed. “Why don’t you go upstairs and tell Bog I need him in the kitchen. He should be up by now.”

“Certainly.” Kayda nodded, heading for the stairs.

“What did she do to me?” Sunny whispered to Zelda.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s just a harmless effect she has to make her as nonthreatening as possible,” replied Zelda, like it was an everyday occurrence.

Sunny stared after the young woman as she waked up the stairs. “Why would she need something like that?”

*

Bog was up, lathering his hair in the shower, grateful it was a handheld showerhead because it was mounted too low to rinse the shampoo from his hair comfortably. He stood in an old bathtub with a shower curtain swung around the side to keep the water inside the tub. It wasn’t as nice as the bathtub was in his house, but it just had to do the job. Bog began humming, which quickly went to singing since no one was around.

Marianne had been singing Dancing Queen, bouncing around her room the previous night, getting ready for bed. It was in his head again, her lovely voice singing without care. 

You can dance

You can jive

Having the time of your life

Oooh, see that girl

Watch that scene

That’s my lovely dancing queen.

Bog carefully moved in the bathtub, picking up the showerhead to rinse his hair, singing the same lines over again, thinking about Marianne. He was so distracted by his thoughts; he did not hear the bathroom door open.

“Bog, your mother wanted you to come downstairs.” 

Startled by the sudden voice, Bog yelped, and slipped. He grabbed the shower curtain with one hand and tried to hold onto the showerhead with the other. The shower curtain ripped as he fell back against the rim of the tub. 

Water spewed everywhere as the hose connecting the showerhead to the wall pulled out at the wall. Bog laid there for a moment, sputtering and dazed, little pinpricks of light flickering through his head.

Kayda quickly hid the look of astonishment, deliberately peeking into the bathtub, so Bog saw her do it. She then smiled at him, shaking her head. “Still not impressed.”

“What are ye doing here?” Bog sputtered, shoving the shower curtain down over himself. Water sloshed everywhere.

“Seriously, I’ve seen you naked before.” Kayda laughed, taking a step back. “Your mom told me to get you.”

“What are you doing here?” Bog repeated, staring at her. Then he shook his head, clearing it. “Get out, Kayda!’

“Do you need a hand?” She clasped her hands in front of her, asking in a syrupy sweet tone.

“I do not need any of yer help! Get out!” Bog sat up, waving at the door. “Now!”

“I don’t see what the big deal is,” she laughed, turning away.

“Yeah, that’s why ye like doing stuff like this,” groaned Bog, leaning over to shut the water off.

Kayda giggled, stepping out the door and leaving it open. Bog glared after her, sputtering. “Ye could at least shut the door!”

“Can’t hear you!” Kayda laughed from down the hall.

Bog scowled, then looked at the hole in the wall where the shower hose had been connected. Then he looked at the door. Why weren’t there locks on the bathroom door? He growled, realizing he needed to do something about the missing locks, so something like this never happened again.

All rational thoughts left, replaced by the sudden need to protect everyone from Kayda.

*

Ten minutes later, Bog stormed down the stairs, his hair hanging in damp clumps, dripping on the black sweater he wore. It was one Marianne had picked out from him and was decorated with silver designs. He had pulled on the same jeans he wore the day before and finished his outfit with a pair of shoes suitable for stomping in and making his mood known before he appeared.

The moment he stepped into the Den, Bog spotted Dawn sitting next to Kayda, carrying on a cheerful conversation. She was much to close, and so was Sunny. His mother was busy in the kitchen, and Arawn was seated nearby, listening to the conversation with idle interest.

Bog clenched his jaw and crossed the room with fantastic speed, lifting Dawn beneath her arms. She stared at him, wide-eyed, taken entirely off guard as he carried her across the room to a smaller loveseat and gently set her down.

Sunny didn’t wait for Bog to come to him, quickly relocating to sit by his wife. Arawn lifted an eyebrow at the odd behavior, while Kayda giggled in amusement. Bog returned to sit on the opposite end of the couch she sat on.

“Where’s Marianne?” Bog gave Kayda the side-eye, while Arawn steepled his fingers thoughtfully and watched them.

“She’ll be back at any time. I sent her out to get donuts and coffee for everyone,” Zelda answered from the kitchen.

“And why is Kayda here?” Bog snapped at his mother, earning him an immediate scowl from Arawn.

“Why not?” Zelda emerged from the kitchen with a smile, wiping her hands on her colorful patchwork apron. “I thought she would enjoy a family get together.”

“She-she’s not family!’ Bog rose, heading toward his mother, putting a hand on her shoulder to guide her away from the den. Arawn looked at Kayda curiously, then got up to see what was going on.

Kayda smiled, sipping her tea.

*

“She can’t stay here!” Bog tried to keep his voice down, the veins in his neck, standing out along the muscles that were threatening to break free. “Dawn is pregnant! They’re all vulnerable to her! She has to go, Mother.”

“Bog, I’m ashamed of you,” stated Zelda, giving him a long hard look. “Miss Nomura needs to know she’s welcome.”

“She is not welcome!” hissed Bog.

“Someone please explain?” Arawn spoke up, noting how agitated his son was.

“Kayda Nomura is a changeling.” Bog whispered, hoping to get support from his father. 

“Really?” Arawn’s pale face somehow seemed to go paler. He glanced down the hall. “And we just left Sunny and Dawn in there with it?” The Arcadian Hunter drew himself up to his full height, setting his jaw, a stance that immediately sent terror through Bog. 

“Wait! Wait!” Both Bog and Zelda grabbed an arm, pulling Arawn back.

“I don’t want ye to kill her!” Bog whispered. “I just don’t want her here.”

“She’s a Changeling?” Arawn rumbled, his entire body tensed up and tight.

“She is a friend,” stated Zelda, standing in front of her husband, hands out on his chest. “Bog is overreacting.”

“Changelings are dangerous,” hissed Arawn, looking like he was ready to push them aside and do battle without hesitation. 

“See what you did, Bog,” Zelda growled at her son, and he frowned at her.

The front door opened at that moment, and Marianne walked inside, carrying a bag of donuts and a drink carrier full of coffees. “Did you mean for me to get an extra cup of coffee, Zelda?” She closed the door behind her, then looked up to see them clogging the hallway.

“No. No.” Bog stated. “This is not going to happen. She is not to get anywhere near Marianne.” He shot a dirty look at his mother. “You didn’t mention she was coming, because ye knew I didn’t want her here.”

“Look here, you two, stand down.” Zelda’s voice rose, her usually cheerful tone taking on more and more of a growl. “I invited her. She is harmless. You will not touch her. She needs all the exposure to what family is as she can get.”

“She’s in her thirties. That ship has sailed!” Bog exclaimed, moving to intercept Marianne, who stared at them with a confused look on her face. “You can’t keep working on hopeless cases, Mom.”

“She is not hopeless. Kayda is a promising young woman, and there’s nothing wrong with her.” Zelda continued.

“Except, she’s a changeling?” Arawn seemed a little more relaxed, but only a little. “Ye know things I don’t, do ye?”

“I do, and I will explain. First of all, she can’t infect us. We’re immune. Second, it takes a lot more effort to get infected than you realize.” Zelda pulled Arawn aside. “Third, she knows better. Kayda is young, but she has been taught how to live by a Changeling far older than us… combined.”

“An awful man,” growled Bog. “He tried to take over Blackwood and apparently didn’t know something important about himself.”

“Can I meet her?” Marianne grinned, a curious light illuminating her golden-brown eyes. 

“I would rather ye not.” Bog moved in front of Marianne, and she frowned at him, her arms loaded down with coffee and bags of donuts.

“Get out of my way, Bog.” Marianne glared at him.

“She is harmless.” Zelda put a hand on her son and husband, pushing them aside. 

“Marianne,” Bog spoke with a low, almost begging whine, “please listen to me and stay away from her. Do not let her touch ye.”

“I won’t, but what harm is there in talking to her?” Marianne attempted to be comforting. “I promise I will not touch her.”

Bog nodded, stepping aside with a resigned sigh. Arawn growled, deep in his chest, a rumble that made Zelda elbow him in the ribs.

“Be nice.” Zelda hissed. Arawn flinched aside, frowning at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bahaha... Nomura is here to wreck havok on everything. I had this scene in mind for a while, because Bog doesn't trust, nor like her. I've been looking forward to this for months, so a nice comment would be... nice. :) - Tiff


	25. November 28th Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Thanksgiving Day and we're doing the typical things you do on that day... make a massive dinner... for the entire town. :D

Marianne smiled, thrilled to see this Changeling. Yes, the stories she had heard were the same Bog did, but the fact Zelda wasn’t worried put her at ease. Bog’s worries were likely ridiculous. By now, she had figured out her fiance was protective by nature, and at times, it was excessive. If Zelda was okay with this supposed creature of her worst nightmares, then so was she. Plus, she just wanted to see a Changeling.

Kayda was not what she expected. The prim young woman sipped her tea with a smug smile. Sunny and Dawn sat on the far side of the room, looking confused as everyone re-entered the room.

“Hi, I’m Marianne!” she introduced herself quickly, walking up to the coffee table and setting the bags with the boxed donuts down in front of her. Then she set down the box of drinks, popping it open to pull out one and offer it to Kayda. “I’m going to guess yours is the mango chai?” She could feel Bog’s looming presence behind her as she held the cup out to Kayda.

“Bog, really, that’s unnecessary,” laughed Kayda, reaching out to take the cup. “Nice to meet you, Marianne, I’m Kayda Nomura.”

“They tell me you’re a Changeling?” Marianne pulled two more cups out of the box, turning to hand one to Bog, who she almost smacked into when she turned. His eyes were locked on Kayda as Marianne shoved a cup into his hand, then took his arm to pull him around the coffee table. 

Bog was fast, putting himself between Marianne and Kayda, even though he didn’t want to sit next to her. Marianne gave him a dirty look.

“What?” Bog attempted his best innocent face and failed miserably, his hands noticeably shaking.

“Really,” Kayda giggled, setting her tea down to flip the little opening in the lid of her chai open. “Normally, he avoids me when I visit.”

Zelda pushed Arawn into the room from where he had stopped just inside the doorway. He regarded Kayda with suspicion, not entirely convinced she was harmless.

“You’re really a Changeling?” Dawn stared at Kayda. Sunny had his arm around her, holding her protectively.

“I am.” Kayda nodded with a smile, amused by everyone’s reaction, but entirely at ease with them. With Zelda present, she had nothing to fear from them. “Want to see what I look like?”

“If you don’t mind?” Marianne leaned around Bog, excited to see a real Changeling. Any fear she had was overwhelmed by curiosity.

“Marianne,” Bog sighed.

“I don’t mind.” Kayda set her cup down and rose, walking around the table. “I know what I am, and I own it.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be… rude.” Marianne recoiled, realizing that what she asked was inconsiderate. “You don’t have to, Kayda. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Don’t believe everything you’ve heard, that’s all I ask.” Kayda stopped on the other side of the table, standing in the middle of the den with all eyes on her. “For one, yes, in the morning and evening, I change without control, unless I change before the sun rises or sets. In the morning, I am shifted into a human form.” Kayda motioned to herself, turning in a circle. “I’m stuck in this form if I do not change into it before then. The amount of time I can not shift is unpredictable.”

She continued turning with a smile. “In the evening, I am forced into my troll form, again, if I shift before then, I can control my form.” With those words, she shifted, her body elongating within moments, the human form falling away in a golden light.

Kayda stopped turning to stand fully upright, her full height taller than Bog. Her long black hair swished behind her, falling against her pink skin, her features shifting to the grotesque and monstrous. Green eyes glowed from her sharply defined face as she smiled and showed off her razor-sharp teeth.

“This is me,” she hissed, her voice harsh and raspy. “And I am fine with it.”

“Wow.” Marianne smiled at her, eyes locked on her bizarre form, with an appreciation for what she knew was a killing machine. “That’s amazing.”

Kayda blinked at Marianne, surprised by the look on her face and the lack of revulsion. “You… don’t mind?”

“No, why would I?’ Marianne laughed. “I’m marrying a giant hairy werewolf who is much scarier than you are. Also, I’m half Arcadian and half Lycean. To be honest and not a brag, I uh, might be a bit more feared than you.”

Kayda looked stunned, glancing from Bog, who was giving her a smug smile, to the look of delight on Marianne’s face. The Changeling stood still a moment longer, then smiled and shifted back into her less threatening human form. “I like you. You’re trouble. We’re going to get along just fine.”

“Just what I need,” groaned Bog, the smug smile vanishing immediately.

“Aye,” grumbled Arawn, eyes locked on Kayda as she pulled a box out of the bags and helped herself to a fancy strawberry donut.

“I know from how I grew up, hearing stories about how awful Lyceans were, that they weren’t always true, so assumed a lot about Changelings isn’t true.” Marianne picked up the box of donuts to choose one for herself, offering it to Bog as well. “Just like how there are stories about Arcadians without any truth in them.” 

Kayda sat next to Bog, grinning at him mischievously. “Okay, now I’m impressed. You snagged an amazing woman.” She took a bite of her donut, and Bog gave her a dirty look. “We’re like donuts to vampires, so yes, some of our reputation is fake, and we’re not doing anything to change those perceptions. Some are very real.”

“Their blood spreads their condition, which is why I don’t want ye touching her,” grumbled Bog, picking out a giant maple donut covered in bacon and whipped cream. “No offense, Kayda, but ye know, I don’t want ye turning her into a Changeling slave by accident.”

“I would never dream of doing such a thing!” Kayda mock gasped, reaching out to pinch a piece of Bog’s donut off. She popped it into her mouth, and he glared at her.

“Keep yer hands to yerself, Kayda,” he growled a warning, stuffing a large part of the donut in his mouth and chewing on it to keep from saying anything more.

“It takes blood injected directly into the bloodstream, not just a drop,” chuckled Kayda. “So it’s not something that happens by accident. I’m safe to be around, and I’ve been in Blackwood multiple times without incident. I would never infect anyone with my condition, and I never have.”

“So ye say,” snorted Bog, sipping his latte. “Not sure I believe that.”

“Bog, be polite.” Zelda helped herself to a donut. Arawn hung over her like Bog had over Marianne, his eyes still studying Kayda. Sunny and Dawn came up to the table, working over their fears.

*

Bog was not pleased. He tried to keep getting between Marianne and Kayda throughout the morning. Marianne kept giving him annoyed looks, and Bog passed those on to his mother. How dare she invite Kayda at this time when so much was going on.

Yes, Kayda had spent holidays with them before, and she drove Bog up the wall with her constant poking and prodding. She had no concept of personal space, was nosy, and enjoyed getting a rise out of him any way she could. Her glamour didn’t affect him, and he was annoyed when she saw her working it on others. It wasn’t right.

Both Bog and Marianne had prepped dozens of turkeys and hams the afternoon before— enough to fill the local high school’s cafeteria ovens. Earlier that morning, other volunteers had put the turkeys in to cook and were busy at work preparing the usual Thanksgiving Day’s sides.

Before noon, Bog, Marianne, Sunny, and Arawn drove up in three separate cars, loaded with containers full of freshly baked banana nut, pumpkin, zucchini, and apple spice bread. The smell of roasting turkeys and hams filled the air, along with that of freshly baked rolls. Other families were there, unloading more food.

Thankfully, the weather was just cold, without any rain. It would be another hour before dinner would be served, and there was already a large gathering of people visiting and helping where needed. Bog and Marianne went into the separate kitchens, despite there not being an actual competition.

The next hour flew by, with turkeys and hams sitting everywhere, covered in foil and towels to set. Marianne and Bog still used their own seasonings on their turkeys, wanting to have their personal touches.

Then it was time to leave the kitchen and head to the auditorium. Bog tossed his apron aside, leaving the rest of the preparation to the volunteers. He met Marianne outside her kitchen and kissed her, giving his nervous-looking girlfriend a hug and comforting words as he led her to the auditorium.

Everything was a blur as Bog walked up the steps to the stage, Marianne holding onto his hand. Sunny, Dawn, Zelda, and Arawn fell in behind them—all dressed up in nice clothes. Even Arawn wore something that was meant to be non-threatening, a blue sweater with a cream-colored scarf wrapped around his neck.

Bog had a speech prepared, a very short one, knowing everyone was hungry and wanting to get the introductions done. He planned this for Thanksgiving for a reason—it was a holiday centered around families in Blackwood. Their Thanksgiving was for the home they found here in Blackwood, and the safety they enjoyed.

“Ahem,” Bog cleared his throat into the mic, removing it from the stand. He had addressed his people many times in the past. This was no different from any other holiday speech he gave. At least, he hoped his people accepted it that way. The doors were closed with resounding bangs.

“First of all, look around and make sure you know everyone around you,” Bog began, waving a hand out to the crowd. “Greet each other.” There was murmuring as people shifted around, briefly talking to their neighbors, then there was silence as all eyes went to the stage.

“We begin this gathering with a few words about family, the first of our relationships when we are born into this world, and the longest-lasting,” Bog spoke, loud and clear, fighting his nervousness. He could hear Dawn’s dress as she nervously shifted around. “I don’t normally talk about my own family, but it’s important to settle the rumors and introduce ye to them, then I will bless the food, and you may go on about yer day.”

The silence was startling as everyone waited for Bog to continue. “Some of ye may remember my father, Arawn.” Bog motioned for his father to walk up with Zelda. “He is home, once again.”

Cheers rose from the crowd as the pair of them stood next to Bog. He waited for the sound to die down before taking a breath, and adding, “This is a secret ye will all keep like ye keep my secret, and my mother’s secret, a secret that keeps ye all protected.” Silence settled into the audience once again, with a little murmuring.

“Arawn is an Arcadian. I am half Arcadian.” Bog spoke with a growl, daring anyone to say anything, and it worked. There was some shuffling but mostly stunned silence. Then Bog held his hand out, forming a blue ball of electricity for all to see. “It has benefits.”

Gasps echoed through the auditorium, along with excited squeals and other strange sounds of horror and delight.

“I’m still me.” Bog snapped his hand closed, dissipating the ball. “I’m still yer king.” He turned to Marianne, Dawn, and Sunny, beckoning them to join him. “And those other rumors… about the human we allow to live in our town.”

Bog put the mic back on the stand, turning to take Marianne’s hand. He swept her toward him with a smile, let her go to place his hands on either side of her face, and kissed her deeply, much to the delight of half the audience. Marianne wobbled when he was done, a massive grin on her red face that matched the blush on Bog’s as he turned back to the audience.

“I found my wife, and we will be officially married on December eighteenth. Everyone is, of course, invited.” Bog couldn’t get rid of his smile, picking up the mic again. “Marianne King, an Arcadian, not a human. Not just any Arcadian, one of the Castle Rock Kings… and part Lyean, like myself.”

The murmuring rose and quelled as Bog raised his hand. “This is her sister, Dawn, and her husband Sunny, who is an Atlantean.” The moment he finished, there was a disturbance in the auditorium, with half a dozen people pushing toward the aisle, shouting Sunny’s name, both of them, the nickname he used day to day, and his real name.

Bog smiled, immediately understanding what that meant as they were given room and rushed to the stage. He looked at Sunny, who stood in shock, his arm around his wife, staring at the people coming toward him. 

“That’s my brother,” stated Sunny softly, tears streaming down his face as a fairly tall Atlantean with the same honey-toned skin and brown eyes ran down the center aisle. “Anders.”

Bog stepped another step to the side as everyone watched the tall Atlantean vault effortlessly onto the stage and grabbed the shorter one in a fierce hug. “Jaden, I never thought I would see you again!”

Dawn wiped tears from her eyes, happy for her husband, then Anders turned and smiled at her. “We have a lot to talk about.” He hugged his brother again, reaching for Dawn, who was more than happy to join in.

“It appears my family is multiplying very quickly,” chuckled Bog, turning back to the audience. Then he narrowed his eyes and scowled. “Before any of you ask, no, we are not going to begin having kids immediately, so do not even think about bringing that up to Marianne or me. I’m warning ye now, do not do it.” There was more laughter in the crowd, brought on by the appearance of Bog’s smile.

“And now that we’re done with the introductions, remember, anything said in here, does not leave the room.” Bog set the mic back into the stand again. “I will now bless the food, and then ye may leave. We will be serving ye until all the food is gone because I am yer king, and Marianne will be yer queen, and we serve ye as ye serve us on this day we are thankful for all we have in family and friends. Bow yer heads.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EEEEE..... Sunny found his family.... eeee. :) I don't have any real notes today, just enjoyed this chapter for what it was, a nice couple of scenes of fluffiness.


	26. November 28th Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for the actual Thanksgiving dinner and to see what Bog and Marianne cooked up... which may surprise both of them!

“That went well,” Bog whispered, pecking Marianne on the cheek as they managed the turkey carving stations, serving up large slices of meat to a continuously moving line.

“It did.” Marianne smiled at him shyly, aware that everyone passing through the line was smiling at them. There were continual congratulations offered, with small children screaming the words at them every few minutes. Little girls were the most vocal, all staring at Marianne with wide eyes and big smiles.

“Try this.” Bog cut off a sliver of the turkey he was carving. Marianne opened her mouth and let him feed it to her, much to the delight of the people in front of her.

“That is so juicy, and…” She scrunched up her face, then cut a tiny sliver off the turkey she was carving and popped it in her mouth.

“And?” Bog glanced at her, delivering a turkey leg onto the plate of a bouncing boy.

“Taste this,” giggled Marianne, holding up a cut of her turkey’s breast. Bog opened his mouth and pretended like he was going to eat her entire hand. The kids in front of them laughed, moving on down the line.

Bog grinned, “Ye did good, so moist…” he trailed off, a confused expression passing over his face. “That’s my turkey yer carving.”

“Oh, no, you are the one who has my turkey,” laughed Marianne, slicing off several more slabs of the breast for the next plate.

“Impossible, I saw them bring this turkey from my side of the kitchen.” Bog stared at his turkey, carving off a wing and a little of the breast for the next request.

“And mine came from my side.” Marianne laughed again, her eyes twinkling as she looked at Bog’s turkey and her own. They were identical, down to their crispy golden skin. “We used the same recipe,” she whispered.

“Impossible,” snorted Bog. “I made my own blend of seasonings, and they were all brined in sliced apples and lemons.”

Marianne began laughing so hard--she had to take a step back and lay her knife and serving fork down. Bog frowned at her, not sure what was so funny as he continued dishing out sliced meat.

“I brined mine the same way!” Marianne reclaimed her utensils, cheerily carving up the rest of the big bird. 

“Yer telling me, we prepared the exact same brines and seasonings without knowing we were?” Bog cracked an amused smile. “Or ye are mistaken, and that’s my bird.”

“I tasted one in the kitchen, Bog. It’s the same turkey,” said Marianne. “So what did you do with the hams? I’m dying to know if they taste the same too.”

Bog made a face, staring at Marianne. “Impossible.”

###

“Impossible.” Bog gave Marianne an incredulous look as they took a break an hour later. He had a chunk of ham in each hand, tasting one, then the other. They were sitting behind the serving line, enjoying a plate of food between them. “They’re identical. I can’t taste any difference.”

“Mmm, this is so good, Bog!” Marianne praised him with a giggle, taking a bite of one piece, then the other. “And so is yours.”

Bog gave Marianne a lopsided grin. “I love ye, Marianne. Yer amazing.” She blushed at the compliment, and Bog’s face flushed at making her blush. 

“Marianne!” Dawn bounced up to them, coming from the kitchen. “I hope you don’t mind, but Sunny and I are going to have dinner with his family. We’re going over there when we’re done serving deserts!”

“It’s okay.” Marianne smiled at her sister. “Have fun, and you can tell us all about them this evening.”

“Sunny has a big brother and a big sister!” Dawn giggled, clapping her hands together excitedly. “And they have kids!” She bounced forward to hug her sister. “We’ll have to have them over for dinner!”

“Certainly,” agreed Marianne with a smile. “I can’t wait to meet them.”

“Well, ye actually met Anders,” coughed Bog. “He was at my birthday party. He’s one of my peacekeepers.”

“Oh.” Marianne blinked, trying to remember. Her vision had been blurry when Anders got up on the stage. “Oh!’ She placed Anders as having stopped by to talk to Bog while he was eating. If he had dark hair like Sunny, she would have suspected him of being related to him, even if he was much taller. Anders had sandy blond hair that fell in waves around his tanned face, but Sunny’s exact eyes in color and shape. His voice was even similar.

“He’ll be over more often, I imagine,” chuckled Bog, shoving a scoop of sweet potatoes, pecans, and marshmallow cream into his mouth.

“That’s awesome!” laughed Dawn, spinning away from them. “I’ll see you this evening!”

“I’m so happy for Sunny.” Marianne smiled, watching her sister vanish back into the kitchen.

“Yeah,” Bog looked at her shyly, thinking about something he wanted to say. “It’s because ye moved next door to me that all this happened.”

“You let me buy the house,” whispered Marianne, meeting his eyes, noting they looked a little glossy, his emotions clear for her to see. “I was just a name on a sheet of paper, wasn’t I?”

“Yeah.” Bog gave a breathy laugh, glancing away from her, then back again. “A name on a sheet of paper among other names, and I chose yers, because…” he took a deep breath. “Because ye were the lowest offer, a single woman, young, and ye seemed, ye seemed to need something. I thought maybe ye were looking for a new beginning, and I could give it to ye, even if we were strangers.”

Marianne set her fork down on the plate, staring at Bog. “I was the lowest offer?”

“It was never about profit.” Bog shook his head. “I chose ye because ye obviously couldn’t afford a house unless I sold it to ye for what ye offered.”

Marianne stared at him, her jaw-dropping at that little bit of information. “I was so mean to you,” she whispered, a tear escaping from the corner of her eye. ‘I was… mean. There was no excuse for it, and you were…” The tears came without any way to stop them. She hung her head, trying hard to hold back, a choking sob escaping as her whole body shuddered.

“No, don’t think about it like that.” Bog rose, quickly covering her with his body, wrapping his arms around her to save her from being seen. “Marianne, love, don’t. It’s okay.”

“I am so sorry, Bog,” whispered Marianne, turning to bury her face against his chest. “I love you so much, and you keep doing things that make me love you more, even when I can’t imagine how.”

“I know ye were going through a lot, and ye didn’t hurt me or anything.” He held her, letting her cry for a few minutes, ignoring a few people passing by, trying to keep Marianne hidden and safe against him. “Why don’t we go outside for a few minutes, get some air, maybe stop by the bathroom so ye can clean up?” Bog kissed the top of her head.

“Okay.” Marianne made an unintentionally loud snorting sound, then laughed at herself.

“That’s my love,” chuckled Bog laying his cheek against her head. “I love ye, princess snorty.” Marianne laughed louder, unable to stop herself.

###

The rest of the afternoon flew by, with the crowd of people dwindling. Volunteers took over packing up the leftovers, which were then distributed to the families. Marianne spotted Arawn pack a small cardboard box with a generous amount of everything that had been cooked, along with a pecan pie and a loaf of Zelda’s bread. He left while they were packing up to go to the Brennan’s.

“It seemed like almost everyone in town was here.” Marianne grinned, helping Bog load a stack of empty tubs into the back of his truck.

“Everyone was invited, but it was mostly for those who couldn’t make a big meal like this for themselves,” stated Bog, pulling a strap over the plastic tubs to secure them. “We’ll get these home, then head out to the Brennan’s for a bigger dinner. Mom’ll meet us there.”

“Do you do this every year?” Marianne followed Bog to the side of his truck, where he opened the door for her.

“We do.” He cleared his throat as she climbed into the passenger side and pulled the seatbelt over her. “We have a monthly residents only meeting as well, which ye will be expected to be seen in the future… as my wife.”

“What else do we do?” Marianne nodded and smiled. Bog leaned inside the door, kissing her briefly on the cheek. 

“Everything,” he chuckled, closing the door.

Marianne waited for him to open the driver’s side door and get inside before asking curiously, “Everything?”

“I would like ye to do everything with me when possible, at least for the first year.” Bog smiled, pulling his door closed. “So I can show ye my responsibilities around town.”

“What do you do?” Marianne reached out to lay a hand on Bog’s leg as he fastened his seatbelt, then started the truck, which roared to life with a bit of a rattle.

“Truck hates cold weather,” he muttered, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. “I check on the townspeople, make sure if there’s a problem, it’s taken care of. There are trips out into Blackwood Forest to check on the Familiarsis who live there, along with a few of our more… colorful residents. I don’t do all of this by myself, of course. My Peacekeepers handle a lot of issues in town, and the Rangers deal with the forest, but sometimes, I need to be there.”

“You’re a very hands-on king?” Marianne braced herself as Bog maneuvered the truck out of the busy parking lot. It was just a little amusing she was using the word king for a man who was currently driving a beat-up pickup truck away from a school parking lot that he had just spent several hours at, serving up food.

“It’s the way things have been done here for decades, Marianne.” Bog kept his eyes on the road as he spoke, “We take care of each other. Ye have to remember, unlike Arcadians, we began as a slave race, engineered to serve our masters. Our ancestors did not choose to become what we are. Some of those old masters were good, and we weren’t slaves, but others, others wanted us to serve them with every thought and action.”

“They’re my ancestors too,” Marianne stated gently.

“Yeah, but ye grew up as an Arcadian, a race that has never been subjugated to another’s rule.” Bog didn’t intend for his reply to be harsh, but the reaction was immediate. Marianne went quiet, turning away in thought. They had already reached the house, and Bog stopped the truck, leaning over the steering wheel. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said it that way.”

“No, it’s okay.” Marianne unclipped her seatbelt and scooted across the seat to wrap her arms around him.

“It’s not.” He turned to hug her back, holding her for a moment. “I’m going to need to work on this. I promise ye, Marianne. I will work on it.”

“I get it, Bog, you’ve spent your entire life thinking Arcadians kidnapped your father, took him from you, and killed him,” stated Marianne, tilting her head up to kiss him on the cheek. “It doesn’t bother me. I’m a big girl. I understand.”

“Yeah.” Bog smiled. “But I shouldn’t avoid it just because ye know why.” He waited a moment, enjoying her warmth against him in the chilly truck. “Let’s get the truck unloaded and wait for Mom and Dad…” Bog cringed. “And Kayda.”

###

It bothered Bog.

Why did he continually have this reaction, even knowing he was insulting part of Marianne, half of himself… and his father. Bog thought about it as they waited, sitting together in the den. 

Titania sprawled out on one of the big overstuffed chairs, snoring on her back. The need to remain hidden was no longer necessary, and the Hellhound was enjoying life with treats and comfortable cushions to lounge on, as well as people giving her constant attention.

Every day, Marianne asked more questions about Blackwood and Lyceans, interested in that side of herself and her new people. Bog loved telling Marianne everything, more than happy to share with her. He loved that she wanted to know everything.

Yet, he did not ask her anything about his Arcadian side. Instead, he pretended it didn’t exist outside his new abilities. They were a part of him by nature. He was not half Arcadian. There were no murderous desires in him to hunt people, invade others, impose his beliefs on them, or rule anyone who did not want him as their king. 

Bog was always careful and considerate of his people’s varying beliefs, which ran the full range of organized religion to paganism and a few who believed in nothing at all. Lyceans were as hardwired to believe in something as Arcadians were, and they got along because they respected each other. His people were peaceful and understood they must always be united, never divided.

Arcadians tended to insist everything was done their way, and there were no other choices. You did what they said, or they would make you. There was no room for negotiations, and they had devious ways with words to turn people against each other. Bog’s thoughts trailed off as he realized this was his old way of thinking, and in his arms, he held a contradiction.

He still didn’t want to hear anything about Arcadians, and he hoped Marianne didn’t pay attention to the fact that he had no interest in them. There was nothing about Arcadians Bog wanted to know. He had his father, who was a pure-blood from an ancient line, and that was good enough. The things that appeared to haunt his father were not any that Bog wanted to know.

“I love ye, my warrior queen,” Bog whispered, tired of his thoughts. He kissed her on the head, and she snuggled up closer into his arms.

“Cuddly wuffy,” she teased, a smile on her face as her fingers ran along his jawline. Bog smiled, closing his eyes to enjoy her touch, becoming more and more accustomed to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHew... close to the end! I really loved crafting this story. It'll be the last one I post though. There's an obvious law of diminishing returns the further you get from these two meeting and loving each other. It's okay. I have a dozen more of these to write within this setting. :) I don't mind. I get it.


	27. November 28th Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanksgiving day isn't complete with family drama.

Marianne was astonished by the amount of family the Brennans had in Blackwood. She was even more astonished when Mrs. Brennan informed her it was only half the family. There were children everywhere, all over the main house ranging from infants to young adults. She spotted a few familiar faces among them.

“This is wild.” Emily joined Marianne with a plastic cup in hand, offering one to her. “I can’t believe I agreed to join this madhouse,” she added with a laugh.

“And I thought Bog’s family was intense.” Marianne accepted the cup and took a sip of the overly sweet tea. “Where are your kids? Harper and Mason, was it? How are they doing?”

“They’re around here somewhere.” Emily brushed a stray strand of auburn hair out of her eyes, scanning the heads crossing the great room, children running up and down the stairs, in and out of doors, having a good time playing with whatever was at hand. “They love this new life.”

“How about you?” Marianne smiled, taking a step back to lean against the wall. “After everything?”

Emily grinned, her green eyes sparkling with an intense light, “I don’t have any complaints. I’m home.” Her smile faded, and she sighed. “I feel bad about, you know.”

“Yeah.” Marianne nodded. “Arawn is taking care of him. I saw him taking Thanksgiving dinner out to him earlier.”

“What?” Emily gasped, sucking the air between her teeth sharply. “They, they don’t eat…”

“You will need to talk to Arawn about that.” Marianne shook her head. “He keeps complaining that he’s… weird.”

Emily nodded, biting her lower lip. “I feel so awful.”

“I wish I could help.” Marianne offered a sympathetic smile. “That whole situation…”

“It’s not normal, I know,” Emily finished Marianne’s sentence, sighing. “I know it’s over, but I still feel bad. It wasn’t his fault, and I have Kyler… and he has no one.”

“And you still love him.” Marianne nodded.

“I do.” Emily frowned, drinking her tea. She ran her free hand over her neck, rubbing at a spot just above her clavicle. “But that’s never happening again. I can love him and love Kyler, too, just not in the same way. I still care.”

“You don’t have to convince me that you’re a good person, Emily,” stated Marianne. “I know you grew up here, and I spent my life in Rock Castle, but you and I are probably the only two people in this entire town who are a little different from the rest.”

“You’re right,” Emily laughed. “We should get together when we can, now that I’m not an awful outsider.”

“Oh, I’m sure some of them still think I’m an awful outsider.” Marianne smirked. “I get dirty looks on occasion, even if I’m with Bog.”

“The best thing about having this family so close to mine is that Harper and Mason have made so many friends.” Emily smiled, looking out over the chaos again.

At that moment, Harper walked by, chatting with a couple of other girls, a very tall boy trying to follow them. The group of kids vanished as quickly as they appeared, and Emily leaned toward Marianne, pointing in the direction they went.

“That boy is Liam. He’s been trying to get Harper’s attention since they met, but she hasn’t figured out he wants to be more than just friends. He’s an Atlantean.” Emily confided in Marianne, who smiled, having recognized the look of sheer adoration of a boy in love for the first time. “He’s one of Kyler’s nephews. Young love is so sweet.”

“Found ye,” chuckled Bog, emerging from the crowd to wrap an arm around Mariann’s waist and kiss her. “We’re supposed to go to the dining room now.” He smiled at Emily. “Kyler’s not far behind me.”

“About time. He’s been avoiding me for several days now, and today’s the first time I’ve seen him since Saturday.” Emily worried her lip again, then pursed her lips. “He did tell me why, and I think he’s a little nervous about if it worked or not.”

“We’ll find out shortly,” chuckled Bog, stepping back, glancing over his shoulder.

Kyler stepped through the crowd, a little more dressed up than usual in a blue checkered flannel shirt over a white t-shirt and a new pair of jeans. He didn’t hesitate, walking past Bog and Marianne, grabbing Emily and pushing her against the wall to engage in a passionate kiss so full of intensity that Bog and Marianne wanted to do the same. They could feel it.

“Whoa,” Emily gasped, taken off guard. “Do that again.”

Bog chuckled as Kyler did just that, ignoring the fact they were in the middle of a bunch of curious onlookers and giggling teenagers. 

“Uh, we’ll see ye at the table.” Bog grinned, an arm wrapped over Marianne’s shoulders to turn her away from the amusing spectacle. “I’d say it may have worked,” he added in a whisper. “At least, got it started again.”

###

The dining room was massive, with several long tables set up to accommodate a dozen adults at each. Round tables were set up in another area for the kids. Each table was covered in a golden tablecloth with an ornate centerpiece, and at each seat, there was a circular fall wreath.

It appeared the wreaths were handmade, each one unique and touched by alchemy. There were place cards with their names on them, so the wreaths sitting on the table where Bog and Marianne sat were far more ornate than the others. Zelda and Arawn’s were also fancy, although Arawn growled at his, the moment he saw it and realized he was supposed to wear it.

Bog picked Marianne’s wreath up and placed it on her head, making sure it fit comfortably before reaching his own. Marianne beat him to it, slipping the wreath out of his reach and holding it in both hands. He smiled and bowed his head, aware that everyone was watching them.

Marianne placed the ornate crown on Bog’s head, smoothing his wavy black hair off his forehead and behind his ears. She leaned forward and whispered, “When we get home, I want a picture of you with this on.” Then she kissed the tip of his nose and turned away with a flush on her cheeks.

Bog chuckled, turning to look at his mother and father. Zelda had her wreath on, but Arawn seemed annoyed by his, which kept sliding down one side of his head. Still, he wore it to be part of the celebration. 

Kayda sat on the other side of Zelda, taking a selfie of herself with the crown on. She took several, positioning the wreath in different ways, and several young men across the table were glued to her every move. Bog sighed, rolling his eyes at the display, knowing she was using her glamour to get the extra attention.

Kyler’s father stood to the sound of a ringing bell, hands in the air to make everyone sit down and stop talking. The man was old, despite the ability to reset himself like every other Lycean or Atlantean. He appeared to handle his aging the same was as Arawn did. It was a state of mind, and he liked his body the way it was, full of well-earned scars and wrinkles. He looked and sounded very much like Sam Elliot down to his carefully trimmed grey mustache.

“I will keep this short. As is tradition, our Thanksgiving grace is for each family to say what they are thankful for this year, then we will enjoy this bountiful feast my lovely wife has made.” Mr. Brennan nodded to the stout woman at his side, who blushed at the compliment. “I am thankful my youngest son has been reunited with his lost love and will hopefully move out any day now.”

Laughter rose, and Kyler grinned from where he sat at his family’s table, Emily in his arms. Both of their faces were red at the attention called to them as clapping and more laughter rose from the assembled families. Bog grinned, then realized that it was only a matter of time before they got to his family.

Simple proclamations of the good things that had occurred over the year rose from table to table, sometimes one, most times several speaking up. Hearing them speak, especially the children was touching for Bog. This large family existed and were close to each other because they resided in Blackwood. Their land was positioned near the forest so they would be challenging to locate since, like him, they had a drawing effect that brought Lyceans to them seeking help. It wasn’t as strong as his, but care was taken to keep it contained.

Marianne leaned against Bog, listening with a smile on her face. He was sure she wouldn’t say anything, not wanting any attention, and he felt the same way. Earlier in the day, he had already spoken about what he was thankful for, his family. Nothing else needed to be said.

His mother might say something, or she might not? His father. No. Bog began fretting, tapping his right foot nervously, careful not to disturb his father to his left. Marianne put a hand on his knee, trying to make him stop because he was shaking the table.

It was ridiculous. He had spoken to a crowd of people far larger than the gathered, yet the thought of saying anything personal in front of them stoked his anxieties. Bog glanced at Marianne, who was giving him a concerned look. She wrapped her arm around his, squeezing it tightly.

Then he heard the creaking sound coming from beside him, Arawn scooting his chair back. The old Hunter stood, bracing his hands on the table before him, hesitating for a moment, then he cleared his throat and said a single raspy word, “Love.” 

Arawn pushed himself away from the table, spinning around on one foot to stiffly walk out of the room with everyone staring at him in startled confusion.

“Please continue,” stated Mr. Brennan, attempting to redirect everyone’s attention away from the Lairds. He motioned to a children’s table, and several kids immediately began talking at the same time.

“I’ll check on him,” Zelda whispered to Bog, but he stopped her, resting a hand on her shoulder.

“No, I’ll go,” Bog murmured to his mother. He got up, leaned over to kiss Marianne on the forehead, then left to follow his father, not entirely sure what he was doing, but feeling like he needed to talk to him.

###

Arawn stepped out the back door of the Brennan’s house and onto the massive deck that spanned the length of the backside. A large yard spread out before him, well taken care of and dominated by a massive playground full of things any child would love to play on. He took a deep breath, imagining children playing on it, his children. Those he never had and never would. 

The sky above was grey, covered in clouds, and the chill had set in, bringing with it tiny white snowflakes. They swirled in the cold breeze, and Arawn’s breath fogged the air in front of him. The hot tears stung his eyes, and he cursed them, quickly trying to wipe them away, banishing them and the emotions that came with them to another place.

He took another deep breath. Surrounded by so many families and children struck something inside, the realization that he had one child and that would be his only child. His real experiences with Bog had been taken from him, ripped out from under him, and he had been the one who chose it.

Mistakes were made, and there was no way to replace those feelings and memories he should have experienced. The fake memories with Bog were real, but it was always within Arawn’s mind that he was interacting with memory, and there were limitations. None of the memories involved Zelda or anyone else. There was no real family interaction.

The door opened and closed quietly behind him. Arawn didn’t turn, knowing Bog had joined him. He expected either Zelda or Bog to follow him. There was no way one or both wouldn’t check on him. He had left abruptly and just needed a moment alone to settle himself.

“I’m fine, Bogdan,” Arawn stated, lifting a hand. “Ye can go back inside. I needed air.”

“Dad.” Bog stood next to his father, staring ahead, out into the yard in the same direction. “Ye say that, but I know ye aren’t okay.”

“I don’t want tae talk about it,” grumbled Arawn. “There’s no fixing the past or the future. It is what it is. I accept it.”

“What was it?” Bog began rubbing his hands together, the cold seeming to increase. “I know ye don’t want to talk about it, but I know what keeps hurting ye, Dad.”

“Ye think ye do?” Arawn turned to his son with a smirk spreading over his face. “Tell me, Bog, what is it ye think is wrong?”

Bog took a deep breath, frowning. “I’m yer only kid, and I’m not enough.”

“Don’t say that. I’m proud of ye, Bog. Yer an amazing son, and I couldn’t ask for a better boy.” Arawn cracked a smile, a clearly forced one. 

“And I’m an adult,” stated Bog.

“Aye, ye are.” Arawn’s smile faded.

“Ye should talk to Mom,” Bog said.

“No, I’m grateful for ye and yer mom, Marianne, Dawn, Sunny, and those two babies I’m going to get tae watch grow up.” Arawn’s face lit up for a moment. “It’s enough.”

Bog nodded. “Ready to go back inside?”

“Bogdan, do not talk tae yer mom about this. I swore to myself I would never bring it up tae her again.” Arawn turned, giving his son a stern look. 

“Yes, sir,” agreed Bog, nodding again.

Arawn stood for a moment, facing his son, then took a step toward him, giving him a quick, somewhat awkward hug. “I love ye, Son. I hope when ye have kids, ye make the right decision and get to enjoy them. Treasure those memories.”

“I will, Dad.” Bog frowned, hugging him back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woooo.. getting to the end! I hope those of you still reading are enjoying it!


	28. November 28th Part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kayda has a mission in Blackwood... and conflicted loyalties.

“Everything okay?” Marianne whispered when Bog and Arawn returned to the table.

“As well as can be expected,” grumbled Bog, sitting down to a plate that Marianne had filled for him while he was gone and food was being passed around. “I’ll tell ye when we get home.”

Marianne nodded, a little concerned about Arawn. She wasn’t sure how she could help but wanted to. “Is there anything we can do?”

“No.” Bog stuffed a piece of turkey into a dinner roll with a scoop of stuffing and gravy, then took a bit bite, ending the conversation.

Marianne gloomily picked at her food. It was delicious, but Arawn’s departure bothered her, along with Bog’s dour mood. After a few minutes, the mood lightened as Zelda became extremely affectionate with her husband, bantering with him in an effort to make him smile and enjoy himself. That, in turn, made Bog smile, and he began talking to Marianne about how good the food was.

They didn’t notice Kayda whispering to Zelda, then get up and leave after she finished dinner. The young woman thanked the Brennans for dinner, then excused herself to return to her hotel room. Bog and Marianne forgot all about her as they visited with the family.

###

Kayda bundled up against the cold as she left the Brennan’s farmhouse. It was cold and dark outside, which suited her. Freezing temperatures didn’t affect her kind like it did others. She wasn’t immune to its effects, just tolerated them better.

A shortcut to the hotel had been mapped out earlier in the day, and now she took it, shifting into her changeling form ahead of the actual change from evening to night. She strode through the forest to the edge of town at a steady pace, her digitigrade feet carrying her gracefully.

The Changeling had a destination and didn’t want to risk being seen as she left the forest and snuck past the houses on the outskirts of town. Thankfully, the cold and incoming evening kept most indoors, and she was able to pass by undetected. Nobody knew she was there.

Her destination, Blackwood’s small museum, soon rose before her, and she ducked behind a topiary shaped like a howling wolf to retrieve a large backpack. With a fang-filled grin, Kayda unzipped the front pocket and retrieved a ring. She took a moment to slide it onto her finger, then slung the backpack over her shoulders.

The security cameras saw nothing as Kayda picked the lock at the back of the building and slipped inside. Due to the holiday and the fact, there was nothing of any real value inside the museum to anyone, but the residents of Blackwood, security was light. The Changeling had broken into far more impressive museums than this one.

Kayda walked freely, knowing the ring made her invisible to surveillance, her footsteps echoing through the empty halls. She began whistling the tune she loved to work to, and it only took a few minutes to reach her destination, the art gallery. Paintings done by residents covered one wall. Other walls held more precious paintings, a few from private collections.

Still whistling, the Changeling looked at a few of them, appreciating their artistry. Then she came to the painting she was after, a simple one of a waterfall. It was small compared to the other pieces, only 11 x 17 in size, and she smiled, seeing the glint of alchemy react to her presence.

The water moved, flowing past sheer rocks and into a lush forest. The deer drinking at the pool lifted their heads and twitched their ears. With a fang-filled grin, Kayda reached back to unzip her backpack. She pulled out a blank canvas the same size as the one she stood before and spoke an alchemic equation, running her hand over the surface.

Kayda was still speaking when she stepped forward and pressed the canvas to the painting on the wall. There was a soft blue glow, then she stepped back, flipping the canvas around to examine it. An exact image of the painting on the wall was now on the canvas in her hands, with the same effect on it. It moved. The only difference between the two was the one in her hands was a mirror image of the original.

It only took a moment to replace the painting on the wall with the fake in her hands. Kayda was quick, carefully sliding the original into her backpack. She turned to leave and found herself staring at a painting on the opposite wall of the town’s founders.

Zelda Laird smiled at her, with those wild brown eyes and the same red hair. She stood out from the rest of her family. Her father stood beside her, brothers, and sisters. Each and every one of them had blue eyes, but hers were brown. The painting didn’t appear to include her mother.

Kayda swallowed, staring at the painting. She had come here to retrieve the painting for her father, under his orders and was stealing from a town that welcomed her. That Lycean woman had been a constant in her life since she was a child, handed over to a stranger who had no idea what to do with a child and wanted her for less than altruistic reasons.

How she resented the Changeling who had raised her as a tool and not a daughter. Yes, he had done his best in taking care of her, but he wasn’t like Zelda, who had this continual hope that Kayda would be a good person and kept inviting her to visit and talked to her without fear or revulsion.

No, Strickler was old, and he couldn’t even remember what his parents were like. There was no familial affection, only indifference. He used his words to encourage or harm her, and her training had been brutal, but she understood something important about him. He cared that she survived, whether it was because she was a valuable instrument or he liked her in any way was debatable.

Her adopted Changeling father had survived over a thousand years, and he taught her how to survive as well. Their initial talks when she was brought to him, a scared, wild child who had been on her own for a full year were all about survival, how he would help her, and protect her until she could protect herself. He won her over with his charming words.

Over time, she realized his kind words were all fake. He used them because it worked on her. She liked praise when she did something correct and strove for it, but there was nothing genuine in the praise. Nor was there a real emotion when he was disappointed in her. And she became more like him, taking the world as it was, a dangerous place where everyone schemed against you, and you had to get them before they got you.

She resented Strickler, but at the same time, she needed him. There were so few Changelings and nobody would ever help one of their kind, or so her father said. He told her all about the Lairds and their town, how they were foolish in helping him, and could be taken advantage of. Kayda couldn’t help but see it another way, proof that this old Lycean woman did care, and she was the only one who ever would. It divided Kayda’s loyalties because Zelda was kind to her, and she enjoyed her company.

Strickler was like a stern father that she needed by his existence, and he needed her. Zelda was like a mother to her, who needed nothing from her and never asked for anything. The yearly visits to Blackwood were always full of fun, spending time with Zelda and harassing Bog like he was an annoying older brother. 

With a sigh, Kayda zipped her backpack closed, bowing her head to the painting. “Sorry, Zelda, this is meant for something far more important than you can imagine. You will understand one day.” Her resolve renewed, Kayda darted down the hall, desiring to leave the place of her treachery far behind and enjoy the rest of her vacation in Blackwood.

###

Marianne laughed, dancing with Bog as they stumbled up the stairs to her studio. They had several glasses of sweet potato pie mead to drink with dinner, with Bog giving in to half a glass at Marianne’s urging. She finished it, then had two more, making her extremely jovial and a little uncoordinated.

Bog chuckled, helping her up the stairs. “Ye have a good evening, Marianne?” 

“I did!” she laughed, one hand on the crown she still had on her head. “Oh, I didn’t forget, I want a picture of you!”

“Why?” Bog snorted, giving her a lopsided grin.

“You’re my Prince charming,” Marianne reached out to touch his face, and Bog’s smile widened.

“Ye had too much to drink if ye believe that,” Bog retorted.

Marianne gasped in mock horror, “Oops! You’re right!” She added with a sly grin, “My magnificent Bog King!” Bog softened at that as they reached the top of the stairs. Marianne kissed him quickly, a peck on the lips, then danced inside her studio to retrieve a camera.

Bog played with the crown on his head, readjusting it. It was covered in gold, orange, and red leaves with little sprigs of tiny red pin cherries woven into it. They had an equation on them that froze them in their current state, so they would never grow brittle, fade, or rot.

“The light’s fine out here.” Marianne stepped back into the hall, motioning to the wall by the stairs where white shiplap would make a good background. She snapped a few quick pictures, then danced to Bog, falling in his arms to take more pictures of them together.

Bog’s cheeks flushed as she took more photos, laughing and pushing him against the wall. He slid down the wall, and she landed on top of him, still taking pictures as he grinned in embarrassment behind her. After a few minutes, she turned to kiss him, still taking photos.

“Got enough?” Bog chuckled, hearing his parents moving around downstairs, talking.

“Not quite.” Marianne rolled to her knees and grinned at Bog. “Could you change into your wolf form?”

Bog blinked at her, not sure what to make of the request. “I want a picture of you with the wreath on your head as a wolf,” she explained.

“Why?” Bog touched the wreath with both hands.

“I think it’ll be cute,” giggled Marianne, holding the camera up.

Bog scowled at her, unsure if he wanted to do that, then conceded, shifting into his regular wolf form. He sat upright and gave Marianne an annoyed expression.

“Perfect!” Marianne laughed, taking several photos as Bog twitched his ears and lifted his lips to show off his jagged fangs. He let his tongue loll out of his mouth, then tilted his head sideways, attempting to give her adorable pictures of his fearsome self.

“Don’t ye dare show these to anyone!” Bog suddenly shifted into his hybrid form, towering over Marianne in a threatening manner. She laughed, falling back on her butt, still taking pictures. 

“I make no promises!’ Marianne laughed again, turning to scramble away from Bog as he pounced forward, pinning her to the ground beneath his bulk. He growled, his muzzle inches from her face as she laughed and buried her free hands in his fur.

“Yer supposed to be screaming in terror,” chuckled Bog, his ears forward and blue eyes dancing merrily in his lupine face.

“I can’t! Your fur is tickling me!” Marianne squirmed, setting her camera down on the floor so she could use both hands to dig through Bog’s thick black fur and find the spots she knew would make him laugh.

Bog laughed, scooping her up in his arms, careful of his claws, hugging her, then tilting his head to lick her, dragging his tongue up the side of her face.

“Oh, gross!” Marianne laughed but tried to push him away. “Don’t slobber on me, Bog!” He chuckled in response, shifting quickly into his human form and holding her tight against him.

“Ye go showing those photos around, and I’ll do it again,” Bog muttered, smiling as he set her down. “Doesn’t do much for my fearsome reputation.”

“As far as I know, everyone loves you and isn’t the least bit afraid of you.” Marianne leaned against him, grinning.

“I should do something about that,” snorted Bog. “I gotta eat someone to get my fearsome reputation back. Go terrorize some villagers, but some other day.” Then he loomed over her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, pretending to fall. He yawned in an exaggerated manner. “Right now, I’m stuffed full of turkey, tired, and looking forward to a good night’s sleep.”

“Gah!” Marianne struggled to push him off as his arms flopped loosely over her back and chest. “How can someone so skinny weigh so much?”

“Imagine if I shifted right now,” chuckled Bog, ruffling her hair with his nose as she wobbled and giggled under his weight. “I have to weigh at least 300 pounds in my hybrid form, 500-600 as the Big Bad Wolf.” Bog grinned, musing as he kept up the pressure, more to enjoy her touching him than actually trying to knock her over. Marianne was strong, very strong. “I’ve never weighed myself in those forms.”

“You weigh enough!” Marianne ducked under him, grabbing him around the waist as he tipped forward, her little fingers sliding up under his arms, tickling him with revenge in mind.

Bog laughed uncontrollably, jerking back to avoid falling on top of Marianne and squishing her. He stumbled, lost his balance, and crashed into the wall behind him. The next thing he knew, he was on the floor, and something hard smacked into his head.

“Oops!” Marianne kneeled next to him, rubbing his head gently, whispering, “I’ll fix it!’

“Nah, it’s okay,” chuckled Bog, pushing her hand away. “Yer still learning, and we don’t have to waste energy on small things. What hit me?”

Marianne giggled, picking up a large framed photograph and turning it for Bog to see. The stern face of Lucas King standing with his arm around his wife stared back at him. “He did.”

“Doesn’t approve of us fooling around?” Bog laughed, taking the picture from her. “This is yer mother?”

“Yes, that’s Mom.” Marianne smiled. 

“She seems to approve.”

“Well, yeah, she’s a Lycean.” Marianne took the picture from Bog and stood to put it back in place as he got to his feet. “And Dad likes you.”

Bog nodded, rubbing his face gently. “I think he gave me a black eye.” Marianne smiled, turning to hug him.

“I’m going to get ready for bed.” She kissed him on the chin, then retrieved her camera and went into her room, closing the door behind her.

Bog smiled, turning to look at the photo on the wall, sitting amid several other pictures of Marianne’s family. He hadn’t taken a close look at them, even though he had walked by them several times. Marianne’s mother was beautiful and looked so happy. She had Dawn’s hair and Marianne’s eyes, and several noticeable scars over her shoulders where it appeared a hunt had gone wrong.

“Thank ye for yer lovely daughter, ma’am.” Bog touched the photo. “I’ll treat her like she deserves to be treated like a queen. My queen. My Marianne.” He closed his eyes for a moment, then walked into Marianne’s studio to check his email before turning in for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was meant to get the ball rolling into an overreaching arc throughout the series. I'm not going to continue posting the series here and with the next update, I'll probably toss in a link for my mailing list. I finally created one and am working on it so people can follow for updates on the full series if you're interested. I have a loooot of plans.


	29. November 30th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With everything settled and Roland gone from their lives, it's time for Bog and Marianne to move on... and Arawn has a plan that Bog is not going to like at all.

Bog was up early and after a quick shower in the downstairs bathroom, went into the kitchen to find everyone else already up and in the middle of breakfast. The only one who was missing was Marianne, and that was typical. The previous day had been spent doing a little gift shopping, then they took it easy and had no plans for Saturday.

“Good morning, Bog,” Zelda greeted her son cheerfully, sliding a plate of pancakes into the center of the table. “Sleep well?”

“Yes,” giggled Kayda, stabbing a pancake and plopping it on her plate. “Are you seriously sleeping on a dog bed outside Marianne’s room?”

“It’s a big bed,” grunted Bog, turning on the oven. He grabbing several golden apples off the counter and a peeler, washed them, then went to work, peeling them onto a paper towel next to the sink. “It’s fine.” 

“But why?” Kayda smiled, enjoying the red flush rising on Bog’s face.

“It would be so much easier,” added Zelda, taking a seat at the table to dig into her plate of pancakes.

“I mean, how old are you? Forty?” Kayda giggled again.

“Maybe leave off Bog about this,” grumbled Arawn suddenly, feeling bad for his son’s discomfort. “All of ye.”

“Ahh, you’re no fun,” Kayda smiled at Arawn and concentrated on her pancakes, still smiling.

Dawn smiled at Bog, “Uhm, why are you still sleeping outside Marianne’s room? Wouldn’t the couch be more comfortable?”

Bog made a face, making short work of the apples, then pulling out a chopping board to slice them into thin slivers. He didn’t answer. The fact he didn’t answer set off a reaction in Dawn. She poked at her pancakes and began sniffling, and all eyes went to her in concern, even Kayda frowned.

“Dawn, it’s okay, I’m not mad at ye,” Bog stopped what he was doing to speak softly to her. He set down the knife and walked across the room to quickly hug her, despite her husband sitting next to her with his hand on her arm. In the short amount of time he had known Dawn, he understood how she needed to be treated and didn’t mind. Her pregnancy made her more emotional than usual, and everything in him demanded he make things right without hesitation. 

Bog leaned in, whispering to Dawn, “because I want to be near her more than I want to be comfortable.”

“Yes, but it’s so weird,” Dawn spoke her mind, keeping her voice low, but everyone could hear her. They pretended not to.

“Yeah, I know,” Bog sighed, standing, “Ye know, it’s kind of ye to let us all stay in yer house. Maybe I should rent a hotel room.” He returned to his apples, slicing them quickly.

“No, you don’t have to do that!” Sunny spoke up quickly, “I mean, you’re giving us this house, and it’s the least we can do.”

“They wouldn’t let us leave either,” chuckled Zelda.

Bog smiled at that, putting a pan on the stove, then opening the refrigerator to bring out butter, eggs, and milk. He went to work, pulling out the flour and other baking ingredients, separating the eggs. A thick chunk of butter ended up in the pan, followed by the apple slices. The conversation going on at the kitchen table blurred into the background.

###

Marianne yawned, the delicious smell of pancakes reaching her in her warm, very comfortable bed. Waking to the knowledge that Roland was no longer a threat to her brought on a smile. Bog was probably downstairs, waiting for her since she didn’t see him outside the door.

With a yawn, Marianne got up, remembered she couldn’t shower in the bathroom upstairs until Bog fixed it, which he had promised to do on Monday, along with put a lock on the door. She grinned to herself, recalling the strange look on his face as he made a list and kept muttering about locks.

Then he went through the house, checking every door, counting out how many locks he needed to buy. Marianne kept her laughter to herself, once again seeing the hyper-fixated Bog she had seen multiple times over the last year. He set his mind to something, and it would be done.

Marianne threw a robe on, gathered her clothes, and headed downstairs to shower, humming a cheerful song to herself. She went quiet once she hit the bottom of the stairs, creeping to the bathroom with hope Bog wouldn’t see her. Her hair was all over the place, and she knew she looked like a walking disaster.

###

Bog helped his mother clear the table, and then he set down settings for two at one end of the table so that they would sit next to each other at the corner. Kayda’s phone rang, and she leaned in the door, answering it.

“Dad,” she stated curtly, her voice lowering to an annoyed whisper. “I said I’d be back in a couple of weeks.” Bog opened the oven, checking on breakfast. “Yes. Yes. I know.”

Zelda looked up at Kayda, a concerned look on her face as she stayed far enough away not to eavesdrop. Kayda turned away from the kitchen, lowering her voice and talking for a few minutes. She pocketed her phone when the call ended, a dark look over her usually vibrant green eyes.

Bog looked at her and frowned. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Kayda—it was just that he didn’t want to get too close to her. He could never trust her like his mother could, not with knowing who had raised her. Still, the troubled look on his face brought on the urge to help.

“Yer father?” Bog asked, gathering up a couple of potholders.

“Yes,” Kayda replied in a subdued tone. “Not exactly happy I’m staying here until after the wedding.”

“Stay as long as ye want.” An amused smile spread over Bog’s face. “Yer welcome here, Kayda.”

“That’s not what you were saying two days ago.” Kayda returned the smile, speaking in a teasing tone.

“If it annoys Strickler, I’m all for it,” chuckled Bog, opening the oven and removing a large round pan.

“Oh, he’s mad.” Kayda smiled, stepping out into the hallway and heading for the den.

“I’ll leave you to breakfast.” Zelda smiled at her son, following Kayda.

Bog made a glass of chocolate milk for Marianne while he waited for the pan to cool. He was sure he heard the shower running, and she should be out soon. With a few minutes to waste, he adjusted the collar on the sweater Marianne bought him the day before.

It was dark blue with Celtic knots woven up the length of it. He wore blue jeans, new ones that were stiff and not broken in yet, and was barefoot. Bog stared down at his feet, flexing his toes and grumbling at how big his feet were. For a moment, he fixated on them, scowling and considering putting on shoes.

“Good morning, Bog,” Marianne spoke sweetly, her voice almost musical as it hit his ears.

“Morning.” Bog grinned, his eyes traveling from the ground up, starting with the cute pair of boots she had taken to wearing every day, white pants, a pale purple shirt, and a sequined top that glimmered with purple and black. Three buttons pulled it closed over her chest. “I made ye breakfast.” He turned quickly to the pan on the counter, grabbing a knife to run around the edge.

“What did you make?” Marianne took her seat, reaching for the chocolate milk.

“One moment.” Bog flipped the pan over onto a serving plate. A massive fluffy pancake popped out of the pan, covered in caramelized apples. It was perfect, and Bog was proud of how good it smelled. He turned and presented it to Marianne. “Baked apple pancake.” 

“Oooh,” she gasped as it was set down between them. Bog cut into it and placed a wedge on her plate before putting one on his own. “Are you going to spoil me like this every morning?”

“If I’m up first, yes.” Bog grinned, waiting for her to take a bite.

Marianne twisted off a piece with apple on it and stuffed it into her mouth. Her face lit up as her eyes closed, and she made a delighted sound. “I’m never getting up early again,” she groaned, then giggled, digging into the pancake.

###

Breakfast was over quickly, with almost all of the pancake eaten between them. They were clearing the dishes when Arawn stepped into the kitchen, alone. He leaned in the doorway, watching the pair of them for a moment.

“I need tae have a word with the two of ye.” Arawn waited until they finished before speaking. “Take a seat.”

Bog rolled his eyes. “Spit it out without getting dramatic, Dad.”

“Take a seat.” Arawn pointed to the table, striding across the kitchen to take a seat at the head of the table. Bog groaned again, sitting next to his father.

“Oh, come on, it’s not going to be anything bad,” laughed Marianne, sitting on Arawn’s other side.

“Marianne, ye need to finish yer registration, and I’ve scheduled ye to attend the two-week course in January in Arcadis,” stated Arawn, getting to the point immediately.

“What?” She gave him a shocked face. “Why?”

“Because it needs tae be done,” grunted Arawn. “But don’t worry about it, ye see, ye need to do it because Bog needs to do it, and I suspect Bog isn’t going to do it if ye don’t go with him.”

Bog’s face paled. “What?”

“Ye are also scheduled for registration,” Arawn stated, staring his son directly in the eyes. “Ye don’t have a choice—it has tae be done for yer safety in the future.”

“Arcadis?” Bog looked horrified as he said the word. “That’s no place for a Lycean.” Panic spread over his face. “I can’t go to Arcadis. They’ll kill me.”

“Well, yes, if yer a Lycean, they will.” Arawn nodded slowly. “So ye won’t be a Lycean for two weeks.”

“What?” Bog blinked, breathing fast, the panic overtaking him. “No. I’m not doing that. No. Absolutely not!”

“For yer safety,” growled Arawn. “Ye will do it, or I’ll knock ye out, seal ye, and drag ye there myself.”

“Arawn,” Marianne sighed. “Is it really necessary?”

He fixed Marianne with a stern look. “Aye, yer marrying Bog, and he’s my son. How long do ye think it’ll take for someone tae figure out who he is and then begin asking questions about why he isn’t registered? How long do ye think it’ll take for them tae figure out yer a Lycean?” Arawn turned his gaze to Bog. His son stared back at him, his blue eyes wide and terrified. “And not just any Lycean, but a Rex Regis? It would endanger Blackwood.”

Bog swallowed, looking past Arawn to Marianne. He was quiet, then took a deep breath, shuddering at his father’s words. “He’s right.”

“I know he’s right,” groaned Marianne. “But I don’t like it any more than you do.”

“I don’t want to end up like Kyler.” Bog grimaced, turning to his father.

“This isn’t the same. I’ve done this many times, Bog.” Arawn leaned over the table, steepling his fingers. “When transporting Lyceans. I turn off yer energy field, and ye can’t shift. That’s all. Ye still got yer other abilities—ye just shouldn’t use them.”

Bog shuddered.

“Ye will show them what I tell ye tae show them, that’s all. Same goes for ye, Marianne.” Arawn looked from one to the other. “If ye want to keep everyone safe, ye need tae do this. I will be with ye. I get certain perks, and there is no way I’m trusting the two of ye alone in Arcadis.”

“Two weeks?” Bog made a face, tapping his fingers on the tabletop. “I can do it if the two of ye are with me. I can do it.”

“That’s a good lad. Sorry tae spring this on ye, but we can’t delay.” Arawn reached out to clap Bog on the shoulder. “I’ll make it up tae ye. I’ll show ye the good parts of being Arcadian.”

Bog scowled, unconvinced. He looked at his father, a full blood Arcadian, and then to Marianne, raised as an Arcadian with an even more muddled bloodline than his own. He loved these two people, these Arcadians, but to become one? It wasn't easy to fathom, and it repulsed him. Bog still loathed Arcadians and couldn’t imagine anything that would change his mind. Even the people he loved couldn’t do that.

But it had to be done.

He had no choice if he wanted to keep everyone safe.

In a month, Bog would become the thing he feared most in the world.

Arcadian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp. This is the end of this story for now. I am continuing it, but not here. Time caught up with me and I don't have a link to my mailing list, but I'll make a notice of it at some point, when I'm ready. Until then, I have three books to rewrite under Blackwood Confidential... and over a dozen plotted.

**Author's Note:**

> (I'm also about to be really stressed out in the real world and want to entertain people and hopefully make them smile tonight.)
> 
> I AM doing NaNoWriMo and that story is reachable by clicking the Black Rose tag. It's not a Strange Magic story. One of the characters is written into this story far into it.


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